The Depths of Insanity
by Allen the Musician
Summary: Plagued by strange dreams that he can't explain Toushirou Hitsugaya is sent to the living world on a mission. A chance encounter with an eerily familiar face puts the dreams into perspective and Hitsugaya finds himself up against a new and dangerous enemy
1. Prologue: How It All Began

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach, just having a little fun with the characters

A/N - this story is a request from miawpyon and is thus dedicated to them. It's AU and doesn't closely follow the storyline of Bleach so if some things are different or even just downright wrong trust me it is supposed to be that way. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter One - Prologue: How it All Began

Third seat of Squad Ten, Midori Hara, had been issued her orders to travel to the world of the living and take care of a particularly pesky Hollow that seemed determined to terrorize a town there despite the best efforts of many Shinigami. Several of their lower ranked squad members had been dispatched to destroy the Hollow and had never returned from this mission. Reports now were that it was stronger than your average Hollow however Midori was confident that she could destroy it and she assured her captain that she would return.

"I will be fine," Midori said as she tied her zanpaktou to her sash and prepared to leave the Squad Ten barracks. There was a confident look in her teal eyes, as though she could take on the world. "I'll take care of the Hollow, avenge our fallen comrades, and return to the Seireitei before the sun sets this day."

The captain's eyes still held a look of concern as he gazed at the confident young woman however he nodded and watched as his third in command walked out the door of his office. He hoped that this mission wasn't too much for her to handle, hoped that he hadn't just made a grave mistake in sending her out. After all Midori was fairly young by Shinigami standards and had only been on a handful of missions on her own since joining the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.

_"He really shouldn't worry so much," _Midori thought to herself as she followed her hell butterfly toward the Senkaimon that would take her to the world of the living. _"I can handle this."_

With these thoughts in her mind Midori followed the hell butterfly through the Senkaimon and toward the world of the living. Emerging in a crowded plaza Midori paused for a moment to get her bearings and then pulled out the communicator that she had been issued, flipping it open with one swift movement of her hand. As soon as the screen was visible Midori's eyes locked onto a red dot in the upper right hand corner.

"Gotcha," she whispered in a deadly serious tone of voice a second before using her flash-step to disappear.

The man couldn't believe his luck as he stared up at the huge monster that those around him seemed completely oblivious to. Strange things had been happening to him for as long as he could remember but this had to be the worst. This thing had every intention of killing him, it had told him as much, and he had no way to fight it.

His paintings lay scattered on the ground however that was the least of his worries as he watched the beast that was approaching him. His first thought was to run but to what purpose? He had witnessed first hand the speed of the thing and knew without a doubt that it could move faster than he could and would catch him in a matter of moments.

Resigned to his fate the man sank to his knees however he was shocked as a blue aura of energy suddenly surrounded him, deflecting the attack that had been meant to end his life. His eyes widened in shock and he couldn't keep his body from trembling slightly. This wasn't the way that things should be; he didn't want to die, not like this, not when there was so much left undone.

"That's the power that I was after," the monster growled, it's red eyes glowing menacingly, jumping back and preparing for a second attack. "Now that the power inside you has finally awakened I can kill you and absorb that power for myself."

The beast made a move toward the man however faltered as it felt a white hot pain in it's arm. Howling in pain and anger the beast whirled around and locked gazes with Midori. The young Shinigami glared at the Hollow, her eyes filled with hatred. "So you're the bastard who killed my comrades. I promise you that you will not live to repeat that mistake. Ever."

The Hollow issued another roar of displeasure as it turned to attack Midori.

The man whom she had saved watched in awe as the beautiful young woman fought against the beast that had been after his life. She was truly beautiful, even in the midst of battle. Her long black hair, left loose and flowing, whirled in the wind that seemed to be produced by the sword that she was holding and as she turned slightly the man caught a glimpse of mesmerizing teal eyes, a look of determination in their depths.

The desire to run now completely forgotten the artist watched this strange dance of death as the woman fought against the beast. The dance was fierce and yet at the same time strangely beautiful and he found that he couldn't keep his eyes off the young woman. He knew that he should be scared but for some reason he was completely fascinated by the woman and didn't want to leave.

The battle was fierce however Midori emerged victorious, as she had known that she would. Sheathing her zanpaktou she turned her attention back to the human who's unnaturally high reiatsu had lured the Hollow to the city where it had resided up until mere seconds ago. Her breath caught as she got her first glimpse of the man and realized how handsome he was. He had unruly black hair, which stood up in spikes, and an intense expression in his eyes, which were a lovely shade of lightest brown.

Midori took an uncertain step toward the man who quickly rose from his spot on the ground and walked toward her. The young Shinigami could tell by the expression in his eyes that he could see her and she waited to see what he was going to say.

"I don't even know who you are," the man said in a quiet and yet at the same time intense voice, kneeling on the ground in front of the woman. "And I know this is going to sound strange to you but I find that I have fallen in love with you. I'll understand if you say no but I have to ask, will you marry me?"

Midori gasped at the question, completely unprepared for it. This man didn't even know her name, didn't know that she was a Shinigami from one of the four noble houses, and yet here he was proposing marriage. The rational part of her brain knew that this relationship didn't stand a chance however as she opened her mouth to tell him this the strangest thing happened. The words that she had planned to speak refused to come. In stead she nodded ever so slightly and whispered only one word. "Yes."

The young man jumped to his feet, a wide grin on his face. "Great! My name is Toushirou Hitsugaya, by the way, and I'm an artist."

Midori's eyes scanned the paintings that still littered the ground. From what she could see of the scattered paintings it seemed to her that the man possessed a measure of talent. "Your work?"

Toushirou nodded as he hastily bent to gather up his scattered paintings. "Yes and I need the money that these will bring so I'm really glad that nothing happened to them."

Midori smiled. "My name is Midori Hara and my background is unimportant."

Toushirou smiled, knowing that her background was strange and had he not just witnessed her battle with the monster he probably wouldn't believe it. And if she wanted to keep it a secret from him then he was okay with that. Some things were better left unsaid.

Midori knew that the choice that she had just made would make life difficult for her and Toushirou. Soul Society didn't tolerate deserters and yet she knew that she didn't want to go back to that life. She wanted to remain here in the world of the living with the man that she now found herself in love with. There was nothing to be done for it, she would simply have to disappear and allow Soul Society to believe that the Hollow had killed her just as it killed three of her peers.

_"It's better this way," _she thought to herself as she allowed Toushirou to take her hand. Relationships between humans and Shinigami were strictly forbidden so it would just be better for all concerned if they never knew what had happened to her. She was sorry that she would never see her friends in Soul Society again however she truly thought that she could find a happiness that she had never known if she ran away with Toushirou and started a new life. Life as a member of one of the noble houses had never afforded her freedom and she longed to do something that was solely for her. She knew that it was selfish in the extreme however it was what she wanted and for once she found herself willing to reach out and grasp that which she desired.

* * *

Soul Society had received no word from Midori in several days and when the Captain of Squad Ten sent out a search party to look for signs of her and the Hollow nothing was found except traces of reiatsu where a battle had obviously been fought. Unfortunately it was impossible to tell from this data who had won the fight however since Midori hadn't returned from her mission the Shinigami all assumed that the Hollow had won.

"Midori," the captain whispered as he filed the paperwork that would label her missing in action. He couldn't officially classify her as killed in action without absolute confirmation of death however her reiatsu had completely vanished.

"I should never have allowed her to go out on this mission alone," the captain thought to himself, consumed by guilt over the death of his subordinate. It was true that she was gifted, having finished the Academy in a mere two years, however he she was relatively new to missions. He should have known better than to send her after a Hollow that had already claimed the lives of several of her peers.

"Why did I let her go? I know she said that she could handle it but I should have sent someone with her just in case."

* * *

As the months passed Midori grew more and more pleased with the choice that she had made. Toushirou was a caring and considerate husband who was completely devoted to her. Despite the fact that he had very little money he had still provided her with a cute little cottage nestled in a little clearing in a beautiful forest and they always had food to eat. For the first time Midori found that she was happy, not just content to do as others told her but actually happy.

"I love you Toushirou-san," she whispered as she lay beside him, content just to be by his side. He was her entire world and she wouldn't trade this humble life that she had with him for all that Soul Society had to offer.

"And I love you Midori-chan," Toushirou whispered as he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. He still couldn't believe his luck. When he'd proposed to her he hadn't in a million years dreamed that she would actually accept his proposal. _"I must have done something good to deserve her love."_ the young man thought to himself as he ran his hand lovingly through Midori's jet black hair.

Midori snuggled closer to him and smiled as he wrapped his arms around her. "I hope the baby looks like you."

"B-baby. . ." Toushirou stuttered.

"Mmm," Midori said in a quiet voice. "We're expecting our first child."

A broad smile appeared on Toushirou's face as he once again leaned down to kiss his wife. Finding her had been the best thing that had ever happened to him and he would be forever grateful to the powers that be for sending her to him.

A baby. Toushirou couldn't keep the broad smile from growing even wider as he thought about a baby that would be a part of both of them. A symbol of the love that they shared with one another.

* * *

Toushirou had traveled to a nearby town, intent on selling some of his better paintings in order to gain some extra cash for when the baby was born, and he was rather pleased by the outcome. The paintings had brought more money than he had expected so he had spent a little of it on a gift for Midori, a butterfly comb that she could wear in her beautiful raven hair. Pleased with the gift that he had purchased Toushirou was anxious to get home so that he could see the expression on his wife's face when she saw what he had brought her.

The couple didn't have a lot of extra money so gifts between them were few and far between. Toushirou knew without a doubt that Midori would be delighted with the gift and he looked forward to seeing the smile that it would bring to her face. He lived to see his beloved wife smile and his heart beat faster just thinking about her.

Suddenly the air was pierced by an other worldly roar and Toushirou's blood ran cold. He had been haunted by strange beasts for months now however everytime that he had been attacked his wife had came to his rescue. He couldn't explain the powers that she possessed however he knew that without them he would have died the first time that he saw one of the monsters.

Forcing himself not to look back in search of his unseen attacker Toushirou sprinted down the trail. He could hear the beast crashing through the underbrush behind him however he didn't dare look back to check it's location. Stray branches from nearby trees swiped his face, arms and legs as he ran however he paid no attention to the minor pain. His mind was focused solely on escape, even though something deep inside was telling him that escape was not likely.

As he ran though the forest Toushirou's thoughts flashed back to the family that was waiting at home for him, his wife and their unborn child. He could feel the blood flowing from the various wounds that he had suffered before breaking free of the Hollow and he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he would not be returning to them. Tears formed in his brown eyes as he thought about the wife that he cherished and the baby that he would never get to see.

He felt blessed to have been able to spend these months with Midori and only wished that he could have had a little more time, could have seen their child at least once.

Suddenly Toushirou's feet were knocked out from under him. Hitting the ground with a thud Toushirou had time for only one brief thought before blackness enveloped him. "I love you Midori, please take care of our child."

* * *

Midori had no idea what had happened to the husband that she had cherished. He had left one day to sell some of his paintings in a nearby town and had never returned. Never giving up hope that he would return she had remained in the small cottage that the two of them had shared and it was there that she gave birth to their son. The child that Toushirou had been looking forward to since the day he learned of the baby's impending birth.

Midori named the baby for his father, Toushirou Hitsugaya, and vowed that she would protect the child with everything that she was.

As the child grew Midori saw that he was the exact image of his father, with only one difference. He possessed her teal eyes. But that was the only thing that connected her son with her. He had his father's spiked black hair and the same mannerisms. And as he grew Midori found that her feelings for her child changed. Every time she looked at the face that was so much like his father's she felt a momentary desire for him and that made her angry. And she took this anger out on her child.

For his part Shirou as he was called had no idea why his mother had changed from the loving woman who had raised him to an angry woman bent on destroying him but try as he might he couldn't blame her for it. She was his mother and he loved her, even when he wanted to hate her for what she did to him.

The young boy often wandered the forests that surrounded their home, wanting a brief respite from the abuse that had became an every day occurrence in his life. On one such day, just as the moon was rising and illuminating the forest, Midori's discovered that the boy was missing. She didn't like for him to be out of her sight for more than a few brief moments, being very possessive of him, and his absence set her anger off.

"Shirou!" Midori shouted, searching the woods for her son.

Shirou heard his mother calling out his name and he knew by the tone of her voice that she was angry with him. He hesitated, scared of what she would do to him if he answered her call, but in the end he obeyed her summons and slowly made his way through the snowdrifts to the spot where she was standing.

"You little. . ." Midori snarled as she roughly shoved her son to the ground. Shirou fell onto his back in the freezing snow and his teal eyes widened in horror as his mother pinned him to the ground and pulled a knife from her pocket.

"Mother. . ." the boy said in a quiet and trembling voice.

"Shut up!" Midori screeched, taking the blade of the knife and pulling it slowly across both of the child's wrists. Beads of bloods formed where the blade broke the boy's skin and Shirou began to tremble as he felt the pain of the wounds and watched as his blood discolored the snow that lay beneath him.

"Mother," he whispered. "Please. . ."

"I said shut up!" Midori said, tears forming in her own teal eyes.

The pain was unimaginable as Shirou lay on the ground and watched as his blood slowly pooled on the ground beneath both of his wrists. He was terrified and almost certain that he was going to die by his own mother's hands. And even so he still couldn't bring himself to hate her. All he could think was what had he done to deserve such treatment.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, growing weak from the blood loss. These were the last words that the child spoke, an apology for a wrong that he never committed.

Midori held her only child pinned to the ground as he slowly bled to death and as the color drained from the child's face a strange thing happened. His jet black hair, the hair that he had inherited from his father, turned to a snowy white. A strange expression appeared in her teal eyes as Midori leaned down and whispered in her child's ear, "Toushirou-san. . ."

A second later the child drew his last breath and was still.

Releasing her grip on Shirou, Midori slowly got to her feet and was struck with the realization of what she had just done. She had killed her own child, her last link with her beloved Toushirou. Standing over the lifeless body of her son Midori let out an ear piercing scream of anguish.

A/N - so here's the first chapter. This is the prologue, to give the back story, but in the next chapter the real story will begin. Hope you enjoyed, please review and tell me what you thought. Til next time this is Hitsu-taichou signing out.


	2. Dreams

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach or any of it's characters.

Chapter Two - Dreams

Squad Ten Captain Toushirou Hitsugaya awoke with a jerk, jarred from a deep sleep by the sound of a door banging open, and his teal eyes frantically searched for some sign as to where he was. His heart was racing and his eyes were wide, terrified of something unseen and unknown. A few seconds passed and the white-haired prodigy's breathing slowed a degree and his heart ceased to pound as he realized that he was seated at the desk in his own office, completely surrounded by scattered paperwork.

"Dammit," the young captain swore under his breath as he raked a hand through his unruly white hair, causing it to stick up even more than usual. The last thing he remembered was attempting to finish the mound of paperwork that Matsumoto had neglected to complete and now it appeared, from the fading light in the office, that several hours had passed.

"Are you alright?" Vice-captain Matsumoto asked as she hurried over to the spot where her superior was sitting. There was a concerned expression in her blue eyes as she gazed down at Hitsugaya, who still appeared somewhat freaked out.

"Of course," Hitsugaya snapped, forcing his features back into their normal, stoic appearance as he attempted to recall what exactly he had been dreaming about. Unfortunately all he could recover were fragments of the dream, a dream about anger and abuse. Torment and death. And this wasn't the first time that he had experienced such dreams; although this last one had been the most vivid, such dreams had been plaguing him for the last week which was perhaps the reason why he had been so exhausted that he'd fallen asleep while still at his desk. After all he never did things like that. Shaking his head to rid himself of the disturbing images that seemed to have embedded themselves in his brain Hitsugaya gazed up at his subordinate. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Well," Matsumoto said slowly, the expression in her blue eyes still somewhat concerned as her gaze remained focused on her captain. "I was on my way to Squad Eight for a meeting with Captain Kyouraku but then I heard you moaning and you sounded like you were in pain. I was worried about you so I came in here to check on you and make sure that you were alright."

Hitsugaya had to admit that he was surprised by her words. Not that she was concerned about him, she showed that side of herself on occasion, but that she had heard him moaning. Had the dream truly been that disturbing? He couldn't remember enough of it to tell. Not that he thought his second in command would lie about something like that, Matsumoto was always brutally honest.

Once again attempting to recall the dream Hitsugaya's teal eyes glazed over but try as he might he couldn't call up any of the images. All that remained were left over emotions.

"Are you alright Captain?" Matsumoto asked in a quiet voice.

"I'm fine," Hitsugaya said, in an attempt to assure himself, as well as her, that everything was indeed alright. Deciding that what he needed was to get back to work and a sense of normalcy the young captain straightened up the papers that he had scattered in the throes of his dream and pulled the stack forward. "But if you're truly concerned about my well being you could stay and help me. . ."

Hitsugaya glanced up at this point only to find vacant space where his vice-captain had been standing mere seconds before. Shaking his head the Squad Ten Captain ran a hand through his unruly white hair. It never failed, even hint at the prospect of doing paperwork and Matsumoto would make herself vanish with amazing speed.

"Didn't really think that would work," Hitsugaya muttered to himself as he attempted to pull himself together enough to get back to work. Once again running a hand through his snowy hair he sighed deeply then looked down at the paperwork that he had placed in front of him, a determined look in his teal eyes.

"Oh well," Hitsugaya said as he picked up a pen. "If she actually did her paperwork then I'd think something was wrong with her."

The young captain attempted to complete the massive stack of paperwork that was piled on his desk however, after a few hours in which he only completed a handful of documents, Hitsugaya finally gave it up as a lost cause. He was too preoccupied by the dreams to properly concentrate on his paperwork and knew that he would only have to redo them later if he continued on in his current state. His current lack of concentration was a perfect recipe for mistakes and he did not wish for his efforts to be in vain. Contrary to the thoughts of his subordinates in general, and Matsumoto in particular, he did not enjoy doing paperwork and had no intention of doing the same stack of paperwork twice. With a sigh Hitsugaya got to his feet and left the office, needing to go somewhere to clear his thoughts.

Even though dusk was approaching and the light from the sun was fading Hitsugaya decided to take a walk. He desperately needed something to clear his mind so that he could get back to the work that needed to be done and he knew that it wouldn't happen if he remained in the office.

_"I have to get out of here for awhile," _he thought to himself as he left his office.

There was only one place in all of Soul Society where he could truly relax and clear his mind enough to think and so Hitsugaya made his way to District One of the Rukongai. There, nestled in a grove of beautiful cherry trees, was a peacefully flowing river. The young captain sat down beneath the largest of the trees, growing on the eastern bank of the river, and pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them protectively.

_"What does this mean?" _he thought to himself as he stared out across the water. The view of the sunset reflected on the water was spectacular and yet even that didn't serve to clear the young captain's thoughts. _"And why are these dreams plaguing me now?"_

A shadow passed across Hitsugaya's teal eyes as he thought about the fragments that he could remember from the dream. The left over emotions from the dream threatened to overwhelm the young captain, even though he couldn't remember any of the exact details. For some unknown reason he felt completely drained, both emotionally and strangely enough even physically.

"What is wrong with me?" he whispered in a tormented voice as he clutched his knees even tighter and placed his chin on top of them. After nearly a week of these strange dreams, each more vivid than the last, he still couldn't understand the meaning of them nor could he figure out why they were tormenting him now. Something had to be causing them, some unknown force, and Hitsugaya couldn't stop himself from wondering if he were going insane. Had the stress of being the youngest captain in Soul Society history and responsible for the completion of countless stacks of paperwork, coupled together with his vice-captain's lack of help, finally caused something in him to snap?

* * *

"Hey Rangiku," a voice called out as Matsumoto made her way toward the Squad Eight barracks. She glanced over toward the sound of the voice and saw Captain Kyouraku lounging underneath a tree in the courtyard, dressed in his customary pink haori covered in flowers and with his hat nearly covering his face. The fading light didn't seem to bother him in the least and there was a smile on his face.

"Kyouraku-san," she called out, having long since ceased referring to him as captain. The flamboyant leader of Squad Eight wasn't really much for formality, which was good cause neither was she. She had only called him captain a handful of times and then only because her own captain was with her.

"You're late," Kyouraku said, holding up a small bottle of sake. "I had to start the meeting without you."

"I'm sorry," Matsumoto said as she knelt on the ground beside him and accepted the cup that he offered. "I was on my way here when I heard my captain moaning as though he were in pain."

"Moaning?" Kyouraku repeated, pulling his hat back so that he could look into his friend's eyes. He could see the concern that was still evident in their blue depths. "Was the kid okay?"

"Physically," Matsumoto said as she took a small sip of sake. "He'd fallen asleep while doing paperwork and he was tossing around as though he were having a terrible nightmare. Thankfully the sound of me entering the office woke him but even then he looked completely freaked out. I have never seen him look like that, not in the entire time that I've known him. He looked like a scared little kid."

"So what was the kid having nightmares about?" Kyouraku asked as he took a long drink of sake. Wiping his hand across his mouth he turned a devilish grin to his friend. "The huge stacks of paperwork that you left him with so that you could come party with me?"

There was a serious expression on Matsumoto's face as she replied in a quiet voice, "He couldn't remember what the nightmare was about but he definitely seemed freaked out about it. And I don't think that this is the first time it's happened to him. He hasn't said anything to me but he's seemed exhausted all week and the fact that he actually fell asleep while working speaks volumes to me. I'm worried."

Showing his rare serious side Kyouraku reached out and touched his friend's shoulder in a comforting manner. "I'm sure Hitsugaya will be fine. He's a really tough kid after all."

Matsumoto nodded her head. It was true that her captain was strong but being strong only meant that it took more to bring you to your breaking point. It by no means meant that you were invincible. _"Please captain," _she thought to herself as she gazed out over the horizon. _"If there's something going on that you need to talk about I hope you know that you can come to me. I'm here for you sir." _

* * *

The young captain of Squad Ten spent a couple of hours sitting by the river and then, having restored his calm, Hitsugaya decided that he would once again make an attempt to finish the paperwork that was still sitting on his desk. This had to be an all time low for him, it had never, in the entire history of his captaincy, taken him this long to finish paperwork.

"This is disgraceful," he muttered to himself in an irritated tone of voice as he opened the door to his office. Striding into the office Hitsugaya sat down at his desk and once again pulled the stack of papers toward him. He was determined to complete them this time and wasn't going to let anything get in his way. Especially not some weird flashes of a dream that meant nothing.

A/N - and there's chapter two. Hope you enjoyed, please leave a review and tell me what you thought. Til next time this is Hitsu-taichou signing out.


	3. Torment and Truth

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach, nor the characters therein.

Chapter Three - Torment and Truth

Several days passed and Hitsugaya continued to be plagued by the strange dreams, each one longer and more vivid than the one that proceeded it. It was getting to the point where the young captain couldn't even close his eyes for a brief nap without being haunted by dreams of torture and as a result he was somewhat sleep deprived. And people were beginning to notice.

The past week had seemed much, much longer to Hitsugaya and he was beginning to wonder how much more he could take before he completely lost all shred of sanity. He was so exhausted that he could no longer concentrate on paperwork and yet he didn't want to sleep for fear of what images his tortured mind would conjure up.

The sun was barely visible over the horizon when the young captain stepped out into the courtyard of the Squad Ten barracks and Hitsugaya paused briefly to enjoy the silence. Moments such as these were exceedingly rare in his world and despite his exhausted state Hitsugaya was still able to enjoy it.

Walking across the courtyard Hitsugaya came to a stop underneath a large cherry tree that was positioned in one corner of the courtyard, situated near a koi pond. Taking a deep breath the young captain sat down underneath the tree and pulled his knees up to his body, wrapping his arms around them in a protective manner.

Without warning his mind flashed to a vivid and haunting vision. . .

("Get over here boy!" The voice that called out to him was harsh and biting however without hesitation the boy obeyed the angry summons. It didn't even enter his mind to run away and attempt to save himself from the abuse that he knew was coming. This was simply the way that life way and he had became so accustomed to it that he hardly noticed the physical pain anymore.

As he approached the woman, who's face was oddly obscured, grabbed him by the shoulders and gave him a rough shake. This didn't illicit any emotion from the boy who merely allowed her to shove him roughly away from her.

"You're as cold as ice aren't you?"

The child wanted to portray this stoic coldness to the harsh world however it wasn't true and he couldn't keep his lips from trembling slightly as the woman turned her back and walked away from him.)

"Shirou-chan!" a voice called out suddenly, breaking into Hitsugaya's thoughts and forcing him back to the present. The young captain jerked as his eyes came open and his blurry vision focused on a very familiar face. His childhood friend Momo Hinamori was walking across the courtyard toward him, a concerned expression in her chocolate colored eyes.

"Don't call me that," Hitsugaya growled. He had always despised that name, for reasons that were not entirely known to him. Sure part of it stemmed from his desire not to be seen as a child but there was something else about the nickname. . . something that he couldn't explain.

Completely ignoring the annoyed tone in her friend's voice Hinamori sat down under the tree beside Hitsugaya and gazed over at him. "Are you alright Shirou-chan? You look aweful."

"Thanks," Hitsugaya muttered, running a hand through his snowy hair. He knew that the lack of sleep was taking a toll on him however he hadn't expected other people to think anything of it. After all it was common knowledge among the inhabitants of the Seireitei that he had to do the work of both captain and vice-captain so why shouldn't he look tired?

"I'm being serious Shirou-chan," Hinamori persisted. "I'm worried about you. . ."

"I'm fine," Hitsugaya said, turning away from his childhood friend in an effort to hide from her the signs that he was suffering.

Hinamori didn't look convinced by his words. "What were you thinking about when I got here Shirou-chan? You were moaning softly."

_"Damn it," _Hitsugaya thought to himself, having once again revealed something that he wanted to keep secret. He didn't want people to think that he was losing his mind, even though he himself was beginning to wonder, which was why he didn't talk about the dreams. Involuntarily his mind flashed back to the brief vision that he had experienced before Hinamori had brought him back to the here and now. "It was nothing."

Hinamori didn't look even remotely convinced by the words of her childhood friend however she could tell, by the expression in his teal eyes, that it was useless to further pursue the matter. Sighing in defeat Hinamori wrapped an arm around Hitsugaya's shoulders and attempted to pull him into a comforting embrace however the young captain immediately pulled away.

Not wanting to show this weaker side of himself to the girl that he'd grown up with Hitsugaya got to his feet and began walking toward the Squad Ten barracks. He didn't want her to worry about him, didn't want anyone to worry, although he couldn't keep himself from thinking that he was losing his mind. He couldn't understand what the dreams could possibly mean and they were torturing him, making it impossible for him to rest.

The sun was rising in the sky now and the inhabitants of the Seireitei were beginning to emerge from their quarters and go about their business. Hitsugaya knew that Matsumoto wouldn't arrive at the office for several hours so he would have the office to himself. Maybe there he could find some peace.

Walking slowly across the office that he shared with his vice-captain Hitsugaya sat down on the sofa that was positioned in the center of the room. He didn't use it often, unless one of the other captains came by for some reason or another, however he wanted something more comfortable than the hard backed chair that was behind his desk.

With a sigh the young captain sat down on the sofa and leaned back, closing his eyes in an attempt to quell the burning feeling.

(A boy of about five years of age was standing against the wall of a small cottage, desperately trying to blend into the wood and disappear. He flinched as a woman walked toward him, her voice rising with every word that she screamed. The child couldn't keep his body from trembling however he didn't make a sound as a hand made contact with his cheek.

He raised a trembling hand to wipe away the blood that fell from his split lip but remained silent. Words would not take away the horror and he knew it. He watched, his eyes wide, as the woman raised her hand once again, preparing for a second blow.)

"Captain!"

Hitsugaya sat bolt upright as he felt a hand touch his shoulder. His eyes were wide and his breathing was ragged as he fought to escape the hold.

"It's alright captain," Matsumoto said in a soothing voice, attempting to reach her captain through the haze that seemed to remain from the dream that he'd been trapped in.

"Mat. . .sumoto," Hitsugaya gasped as he came back to full awareness. He gazed up at his vice-captain and couldn't fail to notice the concern that was contained in her blue eyes. It looked as though she'd seen something that had completely freaked her out. "I'm alright," he said, running a hand through his sweat drenched hair.

Matsumoto knew that he was lying, attempting to hide his pain from everyone, and she desperately wanted to ease that pain. But she had known Captain Hitsugaya long enough to know that he wouldn't share that pain with anyone, not even her.

With a sigh she decided to get down to business. Maybe that would be enough to get his mind off of the dreams that were haunting him. "I recieved word that Head Captain Yamamoto wants a word with you Captain."

Hitsugaya nodded, getting to his feet. The young captain of Squad Ten went into one of the washrooms and splashed cold water on his face before he made his way across the Seireitei to the Squad One barracks. When he reached the office of the Head Captain he knocked lightly on the door and called out, "Captain of Squad Ten, Toushirou Hitsugaya, reporting as ordered sir."

"Enter," a voice called out from within.

Hitsugaya slid the door open and stepped inside the office. His teal gaze surveyed the office and he saw that Head Captain Yamamoto was seated at his desk, his vice-captain standing a few feet behind him. The young captain walked across the office and bowed respectfully to his superior.

"Welcome Captain Hitsugaya," the old captain said as he focused his gaze on Hitsugaya. "I called you here to inform you that I have a mission for you in the World of the Living. An unknown force is attempting to breech one of the barriers between Soul Society and the World of the Living, in a town called Karakura Town, and I want you to find out what it is and stop it."

"Yes sir," Hitsugaya said. "When do I leave?"

"Immediately," Head Captain Yamamoto said.

With a nod Hitsugaya bowed to the Head Captain and then turned and left the office. He traveled back to Squad Ten and informed Matsumoto that she would be in charge of Squad Ten while he was away on his mission in the World of the Living. Then he made his way to the Senkaimon that would take him to Karakura Town. This town had a higher than normal concentration of people who contained above normal reiatsu and as a result seemed to be a magnet for trouble.

"Alright," Hitsugaya thought to himself as he pulled out the communicator that would help him locate anything unusual. "Let's get this problem taken care of so that I can get the hell out of here."

The young captain made a move to walk away from the Senkaimon however the communicator that he was carrying began to issue a series of obnoxious beeping noises. The young captain quickly scanned his surroundings and he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. Whirling around Hitsugaya saw something that made his blood run cold. A woman walking away from him, surrounded by a crowd of people, a broken mask perched on the side of her head.

Hitsugaya's teal eyes opened wide in surprise.

("Shirou!" a woman's voice shouted from somewhere in the distance.

The child who was hiding behind a cluster of bushes heard her calling out to him and could tell by the tone of her voice that she was angry with him. He trembled as he thought about what she would do to him if he answered her call however he was more afraid of what would happen if he didn't.

His legs trembling the little boy got to his feet and slowly made his way through the snowdrifts to the spot where the woman was standing.

"You little. . ."

The child gasped in pain as the woman roughly shoved him to the ground and then pinned him there. He was completely unable to move and so all he could do was tremble as he watched her pull a knife from her pocket. There was a look of pure rage on her face she held the knife up so that it's blade glinted in the bright light from the moon that was shining overhead. "Mother. . ."

"Shut up!"

Tears stung the child's eyes as the woman pulled the blade across one wrist and then the other. The little boy began to tremble violently as he felt the tremendous pain caused by his wounds and watched as his blood fell to the ground to discolor the snow that he lay upon.

"Mother," he whispered, his voice breaking. "Please. . ."

"I said shut up!" the woman yelled, tears forming in her teal eyes.

The child couldn't stop the terror that was enveloping him as his own mother held him to the ground and allowed his life's blood to fall onto the ground, discoloring the snow that was underneath his small body. It was growing more difficult to breath and he felt a strange coldness enveloping him, not like the cold caused by the snow but something completely different. And as his vision began to blur the woman leaned forward and whispered, "Toushirou-san.")

Hitsugaya gasped as the memories came flooding back. He knew that it was supposed to be impossible for a Shinigami to remember their life before they died however the young captain was now certain that the dreams he had been experiencing were flashes of his former life.

And he had been killed by his own mother. The woman who now stood mere feet away from him. Forcing himself out of his shocked state Hitsugaya made a move to draw Hyourinmaru from the sheath that he wore secured across his back however in the blink of an eye the woman vanished.

"I don't believe it," Hitsugaya thought to himself as he sheathed his sword and pulled the communicator from the fold of his shihakusho. He was now certain that the one attempting to breech the barrier between Soul Society and the World of the Living was his mother. But not the woman who had taken his life, no this was a different being. More powerful and much more dangerous.

A/N - and there's chapter three. Yes I reused the last scene from the first chapter but it was important. And now Hitsugaya understands the dreams that had been haunting him. Now he has to find a way to move past them. Hope you enjoyed, please review and tell me what you thought. Til next time this is Hitsu-taichou signing out.


	4. Forgotten Family

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Four - Forgotten Family

Hitsugaya could barely breathe through the tightness in his chest as he thought about what he had just seen. The woman who had passed him in the crowd was eerily familiar and yet at the same time visibly different. The angry look was gone, replaced by a vacant stare and the broken Hollow mask perched on the side of her head served as a reminder that she was no longer human.

("Shirou! How many times do I have to tell you not to wander off?" There was an angry expression on Midori's face as she gazed down at the child that she had just found hiding in the forest around their home. Reaching out she grabbed her son by the arm, ignoring the grimace that contorted his features and indicated that her actions caused him pain. "I will not lose you too."

"I'm sorry Mother," the young boy whispered, his teal eyed gaze focused on the ground.)

The images were far more clear now the Hitsugaya realized that the dreams and now visions that he was experiencing were linked to his life in the World of the Living and he could vividly call up the image of his mother, the woman who had ended his life.

"I have to find her," the young captain thought to himself as he fought to pull himself together. Now he knew that he wasn't crazy however he found himself unable to feel relieved about that fact. The enemy that he had been sent to battle was someone that he had been tied to in life. And although he know knew that she was the woman who had ended his life, try as he might he couldn't harbor anger towards her.

As a child he had always wondered what had happened to turn his mother into the angry woman that she had became. She had been overprotective of him as a small child but as he grew something about her changed and she began to treat him different. It was almost as though the very sight of him caused her pain and she sought to make him suffer that same pain. Sought to make him just as miserable as she herself.

* * *

"Captain Kurotsuchi!" a member of Squad Twelve called out as he frantically sprinted toward his captain. There was a terrified expression on the man's face however the Captain of Squad Twelve looked as though he couldn't care less as he gazed down at his subordinate.

"What do you want?" he demanded, looking up from the computer screen where he had been going over some experiment results. "I told everyone that I didn't want to be disturbed. Where is Nemu? She should never have allowed you in here, useless woman."

"I'm sorry my Captain," Nemu called out as she entered the room a couple of steps behind the man. "I stepped away for only a moment."

"I'll deal with you later," Kurotsuchi said before turning back to the man. "But first. . ."

"Forgive me sir," the man said as he sank to one knee before his captain. "But you issued standing order to inform you if anything unusual was detected in District 63 of the Rukongai."

That statement immediately gained Kurotsuchi's attention and he reached out and grabbed his subordinate by the collar of his shihakusho. Pulling the man closer to him the clown faced captain demanded, "What is happening in District 63?"

"There is an influx of reiatsu in that sector sir," the man said, his voice trembling slightly as he gazed at his superior. "Our sensors picked up on it but the reiatsu is unlike anything that we've encountered before and our equipment can't identify it."

"Damn," Kurotsuchi muttered as he roughly shoved the man away from him. "Get out of my sight," he ordered harshly.

"Yes captain," the man said, jumping to his feet and rushing from the room.

"Come Nemu," Captain Kurotsuchi said as he got to his feet and grabbed his zanpaktou. "We have to go to District 63."

Curious but knowing better than to question the orders of her captain Nemu bowed respectfully and fell into step behind her superior. She had no knowledge of what was going on however Captain Kurotsuchi appeared worried and that was never a good sign. Any time that he showed emotion other than anger or indifference things did not turn out well. She couldn't manage to quell the fear that she felt as she followed her captain out of Squad Twelve.

* * *

Captain Hitsugaya attempted to track down the strange woman using the communicator that he had been issued for his trip however it appeared as though her reiatsu had completely disappeared. There was no signs of anything out of the ordinary anywhere in Karakura Town and the young captain clenched his hands into fists.

"I can't believe I allowed this to happen," Hitsugaya berated himself as he shoved the communicator into the fold of his shihakusho. She had been right in front of him and he'd just stood there and watched as she walked away.

He was determined to track down the woman however he couldn't feel her reiatsu and was forced to resign himself to the fact that he wouldn't be able to find her until she made another move to breech the barrier between Soul Society and the World of the Living.

With nothing to do except wait until she made another move Hitsugaya made his way to the highest spot in Karakura Town and gazed down upon the landscape. The young captain knew that it was unlikely that he would catch a glimpse of the woman however it was worth a try none the less.

("Come on Toushirou-chan," Midori called out in a soft voice as she held her arms out to her child. The little boy was sitting on the ground a couple of feet away, just out of arms reach, and Midori was attempting to coax her son into taking his first steps. She had seen him attempt to walk a couple of times before however he had yet to be successful.

"Come on my precious," she cooed, her loving gaze focused on the child. He was her life and she didn't know what she would do without him. Probably go insane from the grief that she still felt over the loss of his father. The husband whom she had loved with every fiber of her being.

A few seconds passed and then the child slowly got to his feet.

"That's it," Midori called out, pride shining in her teal eyes. "You can do it Toushirou-chan. Come on."

The child took a couple of shaky steps toward his mother before he lost his balance. Midori saw that he was losing his balance and she quickly moved to catch him before he hit the ground. Hugging the little boy tightly Midori whispered, "Good job Toushirou-chan. You've almost got it.")

Hitsugaya smiled ruefully as this memory gave way to another.

("What the hell is wrong with you?" Midori shouted, her angry voice rising with each word that she screamed. Her narrow-eyed gaze was focused on the boy who was standing in the doorway. "I've been looking all over for you."

The child held up a small bouquet of flowers that he was clutching in his small fist. "I found a meadow," he said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. "And I wanted to pick you some flowers. I lost track of time Mother, I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Midori repeated as she walked over to the spot where her son was standing and slapped him across the face. "You know better than to run off. You're NEVER to leave me. Do you hear me? NEVER!"

"I'm sorry," the child murmured as he raised a hand to his throbbing cheek.)

"I don't understand why I remember this," Hitsugaya thought to himself as he leaned against a tree and stared up at the sky. Shinigami weren't supposed to remember anything about their lives before they died and yet he could vividly call up those memories. Memories that by all rights he shouldn't have. Memories that he didn't want. "And why now, after all this time?"

* * *

When he and his vice-captainarrived in District 63 Captain Kurotsuchi immediately led the way to a deserted portion of the district and over to a knarled old tree that appeared to have been there since time began. And yet even though it appeared as though it had been there forever this tree looked to be more than just a normal tree. It was surrounded by a glowing blue aura.

"Captain," Nemu said in a trembling voice, her eyes fixed on the tree. "Why is it glowing?"

"Silence!" Kurotsuchi commanded as he walked over to the tree and placed his hand on it's trunk. He could feel the energy fluxuating from within and knew that it wasn't a good sign. Removing his hand the Squad Twelve Captain turned away from the tree. "Move it, you useless lump. We have to get back to Squad Twelve."

Nemu was now more confused than ever however she obeyed the orders of her captain without question.

A/N - and there's chapter four. Are you guys confused yet? Why does Hitsugaya remember his past, what's up with Midori, and why is the tree glowing blue? Stay tuned to find out. Til next time this is Hitsu-taichou signing out.


	5. Strange Occurrences

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Five - Strange Occurrences

Captain Hitsugaya was growing wearier with each step that he took however he was determined to keep going until he tracked down the enemy that had once been his mother. She still hadn't made another appearance, the young captain had been periodically checking his communicator and had even gone so far as to program her reiatsu signal into the device, however there was still no trace of her.

Hitsugaya grabbed his head with his hand, unable to believe the horror that he now found himself involved in. The intruder who was now attempting to force their way into Soul Society had once been his mother, although Midori was a completely different being now.

* * *

"What the hell happened?"

Midori glanced up at the sound of the man's voice however the expression on her face remained haughty. She wanted to make sure that the man knew that she was only listening to him in order to further her own goals. She needed his help to succeed so she put up with his arrogant nature. "It's a little more difficult to breech the barrier than you told me it would be. It's going to take a little more time."

"We don't have more time." The man's voice contained a slight note of harshness barely concealed by the calm and his features probably mirrored this harshness however Midori couldn't be sure because his face was completely obscured by a mask. Unlike the partial Hollow mask that she wore perched on the side of her black hair the man to whom she reported had a complete mask. And yet for some reason he was far more rational than a Hollow should be.

This she had never understood.

"What about the boy?"

Midori's heart skipped a beat as she thought about the white haired Shinigami boy that she had seen. The child had been sent to prevent her from breeching the barrier that divided Soul Society from the world of the living, of this she was certain.

"He won't be a problem," Midori said, a confidence in her voice that she didn't completely feel.

"So you can kill him?"

Midori's mind flashed back to herself holding a small, black-haired child pinned to the ground while she slit his wrists. Shaking her head she forced her mind away from that day and back to the present. "No. Killing him was not part of our agreement. I will infiltrate Soul Society and break the seal and that is all that I will do."

Midori expected the man to express anger however as always he remained calm. "I'll check in on your progress at a later date."

Midori nodded and watched as the man disappeared. She didn't really like being in league with the strange man however she realized that she owed him for everything that he had done for her. Without him she would never have been able to track down the seal nor would she be in possession of her current powers.

Fingering the piece of Hollow mask that was perched on the side of her head Midori thought back to the moment that she had first laid eyes on the white-haired Shinigami child. Except for the white hair he was the spitting image of HIM.

"Could it really be him?" she thought to herself as she planned her next move.

* * *

Once he and his vice-captain arrived back at the Squad Twelve barracks Captain Kurotsuchi quickly made his way down the corridor to his laboratory so that he could analyze the sample that he had collected from the tree. Sitting down he went to work, leaving Nemu to watch him in silence, curious about what he was doing but afraid to ask. She would just have to wait until her captain saw fit to let her into the loop, if he ever decided to share his information with her.

* * *

Hitsugaya was leaning up against a tree, his eyes closed in an attempt to get a moment's rest, when the communicator that was tucked within the folds of his shihakusho began to issue a series of obnoxious beeping noises. Groaning slightly the young captain forced his heavy eyes open and pulled out the communicator. Flipping the device open he glanced down at it, expecting to see traces of some random Hollow, however he cursed as his gaze fell upon the information on the screen.

Jumping to his feet the young captain used his flash-step.

Midori was standing in the air, her hands held out in front of her, however she was forced to abandon her attempts to breech the barrier when she felt a sudden increase in reiatsu. Whirling around she saw the white haired child standing in the air a couple of yards away from her position.

"You. . ." she murmured as she gazed at Hitsugaya, her eyes widening in recognition and understanding. She had been curious the first time that she laid eyes on him, even though that meeting had been extremely brief, but now she was one hundred percent sure. This was the child whose life she had ended so long ago, the son of the man that she had loved with all of her heart and still mourned to this day.

Forcing himself to block the memories that fought to assault his mind Hitsugaya reached back and clutched the hilt of Hyourinmaru. In one fluid motion he pulled the sword free from the sheath that he always wore secured across his back and held the blade out in front of him. As he held up his zanpaktou Hitsugaya found himself wishing that Midori wouldn't speak. That voice brought back so many memories, none of which he was willing to face.

Turning toward the boy Midori gazed at him in an appraising kind of way. She remained silent as the boy raised his sword as though preparing to attack, choosing to simply stare at him. Hitsugaya pointed the tip of his sword toward the sky, forcing himself to remember that this woman was attempting to attack Soul Society and had to be stopped.

Hitsugaya made a move to attack however the woman pulled something from the folds of her white kimono and tossed it in the air in front of the young captain. The small ball exploded and covered the area in thick, black smoke. Then, when the smoke cleared, Midori was gone. Completely vanished without even leaving a trace of her reiatsu.

"Dammit!" Hitsugaya swore as he sheathed his sword. He couldn't believe that he had let her escape yet again and vaguely wondered if it was a psychological issue. After all he'd had plenty of time to attack but he'd briefly hesitated.

He didn't really want to fight her.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" Hitsugaya thought to himself as he once again pulled his communicator from the fold of his shihakusho, flipped it open and gazed down at the screen. As expected the screen was completely blank. Midori must have learned a way to completely shield her reiatsu from detection. "I shouldn't have any hesitancy in fighting her. I mean she killed me and yet. . ."

Growling low in his throat Hitsugaya returned to the ground and prepared to wait for Midori to make another appearance. He knew that it was only a matter of time before she made yet another attempt to breech the barrier and the young captain vowed that the next time he would stop her.

* * *

Back in Soul Society Captain Kurotsuchi had made some startling discoveries and was now making his way to the Squad One barracks so that he could share this newly acquired information with the Head Captain. If his theory was correct, and he was one hundred percent certain that it was, District 63 of the Rukongai would require an around the clock guard until this matter was resolved.

Walking down the corridor, with Nemu followed along closely behind him, Kurotsuchi would appear to the casual observer as a man on a mission. His steps were filled with purpose and his eyes held a determined look. The news that he had to deliver could shake Soul Society to it's foundation and he felt that something needed to be done immediately.

When Kurotsuchi arrived at the Head Captain's office he knocked on the door. "Captain of Squad Twelve and Head of the Technology Development Bureau Mayuri Kurotsuchi reporting."

"Enter," a gruff voice called out.

Sliding the door of the office open Kurotsuchi stepped inside the office. Head Captain Yamamoto was seated at his desk, with his vice-captain standing guard behind him. "Captain Kurotsuchi," the old man said as the Squad Twelve Captain came to a stop in front of his desk.

"The Seal is threatened."

Those four simple words were all that it took for him to completely gain the Head Captain's attention. Yamamoto gazed at the Squad Twelve Captain, his eyes narrowed. "Threatened how?"

"It is my belief that the person attempting to breech the barrier between our two worlds is after the Seal," Kurotsuchi informed the Head Captain. "I have no idea if they have a connection but the tree has awakened and is now surrounded by reiatsu."

Head Captain Yamamoto whirled around to face his vice-captain. "Send word to all of the captains. We will hold an emergency meeting within the hour and with the exception of Captain Hitsugaya attendance is mandatory."

"Yes sir!"

A/N - and the plot thickens. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review and tell me what you thought. Til next time this is Hitsu-taichou signing out.


	6. Protecting the Seal

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Six - Protecting the Seal

The summons to assemble before the Head Captain was not taken lightly by any of the top officers and all of them, even the slacker of the group, Captain Kyouraku, quickly made their way to the assigned meeting room. Then once all of the captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads had assembled in the Squad One conference room, as per their orders, Head Captain Yamamoto took his place at the head of the group. The old man focused his gaze on the assembled captains, his expression grim.

"So what gives Yama-jii?" Captain Kyouraku asked as he gazed up at his superior officer and former teacher. It was rare for something to worry the Head Captain to the point that it showed in his features. Whatever was going on was definitely not good. "It must be something good for you to assemble all of the captains." The Squad Eight Captain briefly glanced to his right, to the spot where the young captain of Squad Ten should have been standing and then amended his statement. "Okay, most of the captains."

"Captain Kurotsuchi will explain the situation to you," Head Captain Yamamoto informed the group, effectively handing the floor over to the Squad Twelve Captain. The clown faced captain was better equiped to explain the situation and Head Captain Yamamoto realized this fact and relinquished the floor to Kurotsuchi.

Kurotsuchi stepped out of line and made his way to the front of the group. Pulling a small device from the fold of his shihakusho the clown faced captain pressed a button and a holographic image appeared in front of the group of captains. "Sixty-two years ago a dangerous demon appeared in District Sixty-three of the Rukongai. It took everything that we had to battle this enemy and even then we didn't have the strength to end it's life. Therefore we were forced to use a long-forgotten binding kidou to seal the demon's soul inside a tree. Thus diminishing the threat that it posed to Soul Society."

Captain Kyouraku gazed across the room at his best friend and Captain Ukitake nodded ever so slightly. He recalled that particular battle however he hadn't been there for the end of it. Everyone who wasn't directly involved in sealing the demon's soul had been ordered back to the Seireitei for reasons that had never been fully explained to them.

"Now someone is attempting to breech the barrier that divides Soul Society from the world of the living," Kurotsuchi continued, not having noticed the exchange between the Squad Eight and the Squad Thirteen Captains. "It is our belief that this individual is attempting to break into Soul Society in order to break the Seal and release the demon, although the purpose of this is not yet known."

"Is this demon powerful?" Squad Eleven Captain Kenpachi Zaraki asked, his eyes lighting up at the prospect of a powerful opponent. He hadn't had a decent fight in what seemed like forever and he this talk about a demon was exciting him.

"Very," Head Captain Yamamoto replied, his eyes narrowing slightly as he thought back to the battle that had been fought against the demon. "And it is imperative that we do not allow the Seal to be broken. Therefore I am going to place guards at the tree, to protect the Seal should Captain Hitsugaya fail in his mission to stop the person attempting to breech the barrier."

"I think we should let the thing out," Kenpachi said, a wide grin spreading across his face. "I could use a strong opponent."

"We will not," Yamamoto said, his voice firm and his resolve absolute. "Each squad will alternate in guarding the Seal and each captain will lead the guard detail. Squad Two will take the first watch and we'll go in order from there. You are all dismissed."

"So what do you make of this Shunsui?" Ukitake asked as he and his best friend left Squad One together and made their way across the Seireitei toward the Squad Thirteen barracks. The two old friends had things to discuss and they always met in Ukitake's office, to talk over drinks.

"Jyuushirou," a quiet voice called out from behind the two friends, interrupting the conversation before Kyouraku had the chance to answer the question posed to him by his best friend.

Ukitake glanced over his shoulder and smiled as his gaze fell upon the Captain of Squad Four, Retsu Unohana. "Is there something that I can help you with Captain Unohana?"

"I need to speak with the two of you," Captain Unohana said in her customary calm and collected tone of voice. "It's about the Seal and it's important."

That statement grabbed the attention of both men.

Ukitake could hear the urgency contained in her voice and he nodded. "Shunsui and I were just on our way to my office to have a drink. Would you like to join us?"

Captain Unohana nodded and fell into step beside her comrades. The trio of captains made their way to the Squad Thirteen barracks and, once inside, they barricaded themselves in Captain Ukitake's office. They had no desire to be disturbed while discussing this particular topic and took steps to prevent said interruption. Once that had been taken care of, Kyouraku pulled out the bottle of sake that he always carried while Ukitake got a cup of tea for himself and one for Captain Unohana. Then, once everyone had a drink, the Captain of Squad Thirteen turned his eyes to the Captain of Squad Four. "So what was it that you needed to speak with us about? It sounded important."

Unohana nodded. "Very important, I assure you. It's about the Seal that everyone is being sent to guard. I'm aware that you already know about the demon but exactly what do you know about the Seal its self?"

"It was supposed to be a very strong kidou spell," Kyouraku said, raising the cup and taking a sip of sake.

"Yes," Captain Unohana said, a strange expression in her eyes. This had been the response that she had expected to hear since knowledge of the Seal had been closely guarded. "That is what everyone was told however it isn't exactly the truth. A kidou spell was used to bind the demon inside the tree but the Seal it's self is comprised of a single human soul."

Ukitake gasped, his eyes growing wide. "I didn't even realize that something like that was possible."

"It's possible," Captain Unohana said, her voice barely above a whisper. The look in her eyes spoke volumes, telling the other two captains that she wished that it weren't possible. "However the use of that kidou is strictly forbidden. It isn't even taught anymore for fear of what could happen."

"So if it's forbidden then why. . ."

"It's amazing how many rules people will break in order to save themselves Jyuushirou," Unohana said. "The Central 46 decided to temporarily lift the ban so that the demon could be sealed. An undiscovered soul, one that contained high reiatsu, was used to make the Seal."

"And now the enemy that Toushirou is facing is attempting to break into Soul Society so that they can destroy the Seal," Ukitake said in a quiet voice.

"So it would seem," Captain Unohana said. "But what I want to know is how they know about the demon and why they want to break the Seal."

"Those would seem to be the questions of the day," Kyouraku said as he once again raised the cup that held sake. The Squad Eight Captain was showing his rare serious side which only went to show just how serious the situation was.

* * *

Captain Hitsugaya jumped to his feet as he felt a familiar surge of reiatsu. He had felt this spiritual energy several times and was now familiar with it. A couple of seconds later the communicator that he possessed once again began issuing a by now familiar series of obnoxious beeping noises, confirming what he had already known. The young captain quickly pulled the device from his pocket, briefly glanced down at the screen, and then used his flash-step.

"I WILL end this," Hitsugaya muttered, as though to convince himself of this fact. The last time that he had faced this woman he had hesitated and that hesitation had resulted in the woman escaping. The young captain was determined not to repeat this mistake and that determination was plainly visible in his striking teal eyes.

Following Midori's reiatsu trail Hitsugaya quickly made his way to the location where she was once again attempting to breech the barrier between the two worlds. When he arrived Midori whirled to face him, a surprised expression on her face.

"You again," she murmured. "This doesn't concern you boy. Just turn around and walk away and I promise nothing will happen to you."

"Not a chance," Hitsugaya growled as he pulled his zanpaktou from it's sheath. He didn't hate the woman who was standing before him, he didn't understand those feelings and yet they were still there, however he couldn't allow her to infiltrate Soul Society. Nothing good would come of it and there was the possibility that many would die. That was a risk that he was simply not willing to take.

"I don't want to fight you," Midori said as she turned to face the young boy. "But that doesn't mean that I won't."

There was a slight hesitancy to his movements however Hitsugaya forced himself to raise his zanpaktou. "Prepare yourself."

Midori sighed, shaking her head as she gazed at the child. "If you insist." Reaching inside the long white coat that she was wearing the woman pulled a katana from beneath it. The woman held up the blade and called out, "Paint the skies with blood, Gaka no Tamashii!"

Hitsugaya's eyes widened in surprise as he watched the sword that she held change shape. The blade of the sword seemed to contain all of the colors of the rainbow and was surrounded by an eerie crimson aura. "A zanpaktou. . ." he gasped, completely shocked by this unforeseen turn of events. Judging by the partial mask that was perched on the side of her head Hitsugaya had judged her a Hollow but Hollow were not supposed to possess zanpaktou. "But I don't understand."

Not willing to go into any of the details with the boy Midori raised her sword and launched herself toward him. Hitsugaya managed to raise his own sword in time to block the attack however he was knocked back a couple of steps by the sheer force of the blow.

Jumping back a couple of steps Midori prepared for a second attack. Anticipating her move Hitsugaya raised Hyourinmaru, pointing the tip of his blade toward the sky, and called out, "Reign over the frosted, frozen sky, Hyourinmaru!"

Midori watched as a dragon that appeared to be comprised of ice and snow erupted from the tip of the young captain's sword and flew into the sky. The dragon circled the air above Hitsugaya's head, awaiting an order from his master. "Impressive," she murmured, more to herself than to the boy. She could feel the boy's reiatsu, so she had known all along that he possessed power, however the magnitude of said power was only now beginning to come to light.

Hitsugaya pointed his sword toward Midori, ordering the ice dragon to attack, but before Hyourinmaru could make contact Midori swung her own sword in a circle in front of her body. The rainbow colors flashed and Midori vanished before Hitsugaya's eyes.

"What is she?" Hitsugaya asked himself as he felt the reiatsu of his opponent completely disappear. This was like nothing that he had seen before. She seemed to have the powers of both Hollow and Shinigami, which was completely unheard of.

"I think that I need to return to Soul Society and do some research," Hitsugaya muttered to himself as he pulled the communicator from his shihakusho. There were too many things that didn't make sense and he desperately wanted to find out what was going on.

What sort of being had his mother became in the time since his death?

And why did he care?

None of it made any sense.

A/N - in case anyone is curious this fic is pre-series and takes place before Rukia met Ichigo. The name of Midori's zanpaktou is supposed to mean Soul Painter. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review and tell me what you thought. Til next time this is Hitsu-taichou signing out.


	7. Searching for Answers

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Seven - Searching for Answers

Hitsugaya had once again lost track of Midori and he was beginning to grow frustrated over the fact that she seemed to be able to hide her reiatsu at will. It was beginning to feel as though he only found her when she wanted, or else didn't care, to be found. And on top of his feelings of frustration was confusion for the young captain was still unsure exactly what kind of being Midori had turned into. His first thought had been that she was an Arrancar, a rare and advanced form of Hollow but now that he had seen that she possessed a zanpaktou he was unsure.

"It's not supposed to be possible," Hitsugaya muttered to himself as he searched for any signs of Midori. He had given up on the waiting game, thinking that it would be better if he made an active attempt to locate Midori instead of merely sitting around and waiting for her to make an appearance.

"I have to figure out what the hell is going on."

The fact that Midori possessed a zanpaktou was a cause of great concern for the young captain of Squad Ten as well as great confusion. There was supposed to be a clear cut line between Hollow and Shinigami and yet with Midori the lines were blurred if not down right invisible. She seemed to possess qualities of both and yet couldn't really be classified as either. That was one of the greatest mysteries of the situation.

The other mystery was why she wanted to breech the barrier between Soul Society and the world of the living. What possible motive could she have? What was so important that she would risk everything? The answers to these questions simply did not exist and yet Hitsugaya couldn't keep himself from wondering. But at the same time he was irritated that he even cared. This woman, who had been supposed to love and cherish him beyond all others, had in fact caused him pain and then ended his life.

He shouldn't give a damn what had brought her to her current state but the young captain couldn't deny that he did care. It didn't make any sense and he couldn't rationalize it but he did care what had happened to make her willing to risk everything.

The wind was whispering gently through the trees as Hitsugaya stared up into the cobalt blue sky. The young captain had always found peace from gazing up at the sky and he desperately needed that peace now. There wasn't a cloud in the sky however the tranquility of the day only served to mock Hitsugaya's own tumultuous emotions. His teal eyes were wide and haunted as he thought back on the woman that he should hate. By all rights he should despise her and not care what was causing her current actions. She had callously ended his life and was now an enemy of Soul Society. That should be all the information he needed but it wasn't.

"What brought you to this place. . . Mother?"

* * *

Soul Society was beginning to grow concerned over the fact that the person attacking their barrier had yet to be caught and in the hopes of speeding up the process Head Captain Yamamoto authorized both Matsumoto and Hinamori to travel to the world of the living to offer aid to Captain Hitsugaya. The young captain had been in constant contact with Soul Society and had made no attempt to hide the fact that he was having some difficulty carrying out his mission. The child prodigy had sounded irritated about the fact that he'd had to admit his failure but at the same time he realized that his superior needed to know what was going on. Hitsugaya felt that his duty to Soul Society was more important than his personal feelings.

Realizing that things would more than likely progress better if Hitsugaya had some help the Head Captain authorized the deployment of the two vice-captains. Two people that Hitsugaya trusted, or so he thought. He didn't feel that Soul Society could afford to send another captain however the two vice-captains should serve just as well and Hinamori and Matsumoto had quickly volunteered.

"Do you think Toushirou will be angry that we came?" Hinamori asked, a concerned expression in her chocoloate colored eyes as she and Matsumoto made their way toward the Senkaimon that would take them to Karakura Town. She had been friends with the Squad Ten Captain since their childhood days in the Rukongai and she knew that in some instances Hitsugaya was quick to anger.

"I don't know," Matsumoto replied honestly. She wasn't sure how Captain Hitsugaya would react to the fact that Head Captain Yamamoto had sent in reinforcements but for their sakes she hoped that he would take the news well. And to be completely honest she was happy that they were going because she had been worried about her captain since his departure. He was still sleep deprived and that would not make fighting easy for the young captain.

Hinamori looked worried however there was also a determined look in her eyes. Hitsugaya was her best friend, had been since their childhood days together in the Rukongai, and she too was concerned for his safety. She didn't want to see anything happen to the boy that she had grown to care for greatly over the passing years.

* * *

Standing in a clearing in a grove of trees on the outskirts of Karakura Town Captain Hitsugaya tensed as he felt a pair of familiar reiatsu. "Why the hell are they here?" he thought to himself as he gazed in the general direction that the reiatsu was radiating from. Clenching his hands into fists he used his flash-step to travel to the location where the reiatsu was radiating from, the position where he knew Hinamori and Matsumoto would be waiting.

"Captain!"

"Shirou-chan!"

Hitsugaya cringed as he heard Hinamori address him by that vile nickname, a nickname that she knew he despised. "It's Captain Hitsugaya. . . and what are you doing here?" The young captain's gaze shifted back and forth between his childhood friend and his subordinate.

"Head Captain Yamamoto sent us to assist you with the intruder," Matsumoto said, deciding that her captain had a right to know the truth. And she had to be the one to tell him, no matter how much she would have loved to give the job to someone else. "Things have changed somewhat since you left Soul Society."

"What's changed?" Hitsugaya inadvertantly shifted into his commanding, captain's voice as he asked this question. There was a part of him that resented the fact that Yamamoto had decided that he needed help but his desire to know the truth over rode that feeling and forced him not to mention it.

"We think we know why the enemy is attempting to breech the barrier between Soul Society and the world of the living," Hinamori explained, taking over from Matsumoto. "Captain Aizen told me that it had something to do with a demon that had once attacked the Seireitei. It was massively powerful, so powerful that the Shinigami couldn't kill it. In order to bring it under control they used a long forgotten kidou spell to seal it's soul inside a tree."

Matsumoto nodded. "Head Captain Yamamoto thinks that the enemy you were sent here to stop is attempting to break into Soul Society to release the demon."

Hitsugaya's mind briefly flashed to the image of Midori holding her rainbow colored blade. What purpose could she possibly have in releasing a dangerous enemy contained in Soul Society? Hell she shouldn't even know about it. He hadn't known about it after all. It didn't make any sense.

"Are you alright Toushirou?" Hinamori's voice was concerned.

"Captain Hitsugaya!" the young captain snapped, glaring at Hinamori through narrowed eyes. When would she learn not to address him by his given name? At this point it seemed like the answer to that question was never. "And I'm fine. I was just thinking about something."

"Thinking about what Captain?" Matsumoto asked.

"Do you have free access to Soul Society?" Hitsugaya asked, chosing to completely ignore the question that had been posed to him by his vice-captain.

"Yes," Matsumoto replied after a moment's hesitation.

"I need you to return to Soul Society and go to the library," Hitsugaya said, deciding on a course of action. He needed to find out if Soul Society had any kind of file on Midori. And above all he needed to make sure that no one found out exactly who she was.

"The library?" Matsumoto repeated, somewhat confused by her captain's request.

Hitsugaya nodded, a trace of fear in his teal eyes. This was necessary, he had to know exactly what he was dealing with, however he didn't want his subordinate or his childhood friend to know that he had a connection with the enemy who was now attacking Soul Society. "I need for you to search Soul Society's archives on known threats and see if you come across the name Midori."

"Okay." Matsumoto nodded, knowing that her captain had to have a good reason for asking her to do this. "Is there a last name that goes with that?"

Hitsugaya's features almost gave a hint that he knew more than he was willing to reveal however he managed to force them back into their normal stoic expression. Besides, had there been someone on the list of threats who shared his last name the young prodigy was sure that he would know about it so that knowledge wasn't relative to the mission that he was assigning his second in command. "Midori is all that I have managed to find out but if it helps I can give you a description."

The Squad Ten vice-captain nodded.

Taking a deep breath Hitsugaya summoned a mental image of his mother so that he could accurately describe her to his vice-captain. "She has long black hair that she wears hanging loosely about her shoulders, the right side held back by a piece of broken Hollow mask. She's around five feet, seven inches tall and has. . ." The young captain paused at this point, almost afraid to continue. The last physical trait was the only one that linked her to him however it was important so he would have to tell Matsumoto. All he could do was hope that she wouldn't make the connection. "And her eyes are teal. I know it's not much but I'm afraid that it's all I have to go on. I'm sorry Matsumoto."

"Don't worry about it Captain," Matsumoto said, flashing him a winning smile. "If there's any information on this Midori person then rest assured that I'll find it."

"Thanks Matsumoto," Hitsugaya said.

Hitsugaya watched as Matsumoto summoned the Senkaimon and disappeared and then he turned his attention back to Hinamori. His childhood friend was standing there and she held a concerned expression in her chocolate colored eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere Toushirou," Hinamori said quickly, thinking that he was going to order her back to Soul Society as well.

"Captain Hitsugaya," the young captain automatically corrected, his thoughts elsewhere. He didn't know if Soul Society would have a file on Midori but he really needed more information on her. At this point, based on what he'd seen and the feelings that he had, he wasn't sure that he could win in a fight against her. Or even that he could fight her at all.

Hitsugaya was brought out of his thoughts by the feel of a hand on his shoulder and, somewhat startled, he jerked involuntarily.

"I'm sorry," Hinamori said in a quiet voice. "But I'm worried about you."

"I'm fine," Hitsugaya said, fighting hard to keep his voice reassuring. "Now come on. We aren't accomplishing anything by just standing around here. Let's search the area. It's a long shot but maybe we'll come across something."

Delighted that Hitsugaya had included her Hinamori nodded and together the two young Shinigami left the area.

* * *

When Matsumoto arrived back in the Seireitei she immediately erected a kidou barrier around herself, to conceal her reiatsu from detection. She had told her captain that she was free to come and go but in truth the Squad Ten vice-captain wasn't entirely sure that she had told Hitsugaya the truth. She was aware that she could very well be breaking the rules by returning however she would not deny a request from her captain.

"I hope I don't get in trouble for this," she muttered to herself as she made her way to the library.

Upon arrive Matsumoto painstakingly searched through the archives of known threats to Soul Society, the threats that the higher ups knew about but had yet to deal with, but after hours of research she came up with nothing. There was absolutely no record of an enemy named Midori fitting the physical description that Captain Hitsugaya had given her in any of the records.

"I wonder," Matsumoto thought to herself as she moved on to another list. She knew that it was a long shot however she quickly decided that it was worth a shot. Besides, she had told her captain that if there was any information on Midori then she would find it and she couldn't make a liar out of herself. She had a reputation to protect after all. Quickly scanning the list Matsumoto's blue eyes widened in shock as her name fell upon the name Midori Hara, former third seat of their own Squad Ten, from the time before they joined. And across from the name were the words missing in action.

"I have to tell the captain," Matsumoto exclaimed, jumping to her feet and rushing from the library.

A/N - There's chapter seven. Hope you enjoyed, please review and tell me what you thought. Til next time this is Hitsu-taichou signing out.


	8. Discovery and Confusion

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Eight - Discovery and Confusion

Having came across a startling piece of information while doing some research for her captain in the library Matsumoto ran toward the Senkaimon that would take her back to the world of the living. The news that she had to relay couldn't wait and the Squad Ten vice-captain knew that Captain Hitsugaya would want to know immediately. This could prove vital to the mission that he had been assigned.

"The captain will definitely want to know about this ASAP," she murmured as she made her way through the portal to the world of the living, following along behind a hell butterfly. He would most likely be surprised by her quick return, since she wasn't known for getting work of this nature finished quickly, however the concern in his eyes had made her want to work faster. There was an uneasiness in his eyes that she desperately wanted to see disappear. Her captain was always serious, it was true, but his current state of worry went way beyond the normal and she was beginning to grow concerned about him.

She was worried about him and in her eyes the sooner he got this information the better. Matsumoto didn't know if it would help or not but she was determined to do everything in her power to resolve this issue quickly so that Captain Hitsugaya could return to Soul Society and finally get some much needed and much deserved rest. The young captain always worked extremely hard but things had been even rougher for him since the onset of those nightmares. Hitsugaya hadn't been sleeping well and then he'd been sent to track down an enemy who appeared to be extremely elusive so Matsumoto knew that he had to be absolutely exhausted, both physically and mentally.

When she arrived in Karakura Town Matsumoto quickly searched for the reiatsu of Captain Hitsugaya and Hinamori and when she found it she used her flash-step.

* * *

Hitsugaya and Hinamori were still searching for the reiatsu of Midori when Matsumoto suddenly appeared in front of them. Hitsugaya arched a brow, slightly shocked that his subordinate had returned from Soul Society so quickly. And he didn't fail to notice that she had an unusual look in her blue eyes. "Did you find something Matsumoto?"

"There was no one on the list of known threats by the name of Midori," Matsumoto informed her captain, her gaze locked on him in an attempt to judge his reaction to this knowledge. And it was obvious to her by his facial features that Captain Hitsugaya was surprised by this news. The way that his teal eyes widened ever so slightly was enough to tell her that Hitsugaya had been expecting a different answer to his question.

"I don't believe it," Hitsugaya said in a quiet voice, his teal eyed gaze leaving his vice-captain and coming to rest resolutely on the ground. He had been certain that Soul Society would have a file on someone as powerful as Midori and could not quell the disappointment that he felt upon learning that this was not the case. He wanted, no needed, to know what was going on, what had happened to his mother since his death and this had seemed like a good way to accomplish that. He was disappointed to say the least and as much as he wanted to the young captain couldn't completely hide this disappointment. It shone in his eyes if nowhere else.

"Captain," Matsumoto said, noticing the expression of disappointment in his teal eyes. "After I searched the lists of known threats with no luck I had a thought. Since she wasn't on that particular list I took a leap and checked the records of Shinigami and. . . and I came across the name of a Shinigami who was listed as missing in action. She was the third seat officer of Squad Ten and her name was Midori Hara. The physical description matched so I think there's a real good chance that the woman you're tracking is the same person."

"Shini. . . gami. . ." Hitsugaya gasped, his eyes returning to the face of his second in command and widening in shock. His mother had been a Shinigami? In the back of his mind, the part that was still rational, he had suspected as much since she had revealed the fact that she possessed a zanpaktou. Unfortunately that revelation brought about more questions than it answered. For some reason a Shinigami had deserted from Soul Society and had somehow ended up as a Hollow. Was that even possible?

"Toushirou?" Hinamori said, picking up on the haunted look that had appeared in Hitsugaya's beautiful teal eyes. Something about the news that Matsumoto had just delivered had disturbed him and she desperately wanted to offer him comfort. "Are you okay?"

It was as though Hitsugaya hadn't even heard the words spoken to him by his childhood friend. The young captain sank to the ground, his haori fanning out to lay on the grass. His mother had been a Shinigami, and not just any Shinigami but a seated officer. So what had happened to make her leave Soul Society and have a kid? A kid that she had grown to despise. A kid whose life she had ultimately ended.

"Captain. . ."

Feeling completely numb Hitsugaya barely registered the fact that his vice-captain was calling out to him. How could his mother have been a Shinigami and him never know? He never noticed anything strange about her, aside from the fact that she was possessive and abusive. Completely overwhelmed by emotions that he had kept bottled up for decades the young captain suddenly collapsed.

Matsumoto's eyes widened in horror as she watched Hitsugaya's teal eyes roll back into his head as he fell limply to the ground.

"Captain!"

"Toushirou!"

Both Matsumoto and Hinamori sank to their knees at Hitsugaya's side, each calling out to him in an attempt to get him to wake. Their efforts were all for naught however as the young captain remained completely motionless, his features seeming tortured even in sleep. Hinamori nudged his shoulder gently with her hand but even the gentle back and forth motion didn't arouse the young captain.

Now extremely worried for her superior officer Matsumoto gently scooped the small boy up into her arms and then got to her feet. "Come on Momo," she said as she turned to walk away. "We have to get him to Squad Four as fast as we can."

"Right," Hinamori said, getting quickly to her feet. The Squad Five vice-captain quickly summoned the Senkaimon that would take them back to Soul Society and together the trio traveled back to their own world. The enemy had yet to be stopped however one of their own was suffering and at the moment he was all that they cared about. Everything else would just have to wait.

Someone else could take over this fight.

When they arrived back in the Seireitei Hinamori turned to Matsumoto, concern evident in her chocolate colored eyes as she gazed at Hitsugaya. In his current position the young Captain of Squad Ten appeared even younger than he did while he was conscious. Hinamori wasn't sure if she had ever seen Hitsugaya looking so vulnerable. "You get Toushirou to Squad Four. I'll tell Captain Aizen about what happened and see if he can take over the mission until Shirou-chan recovers."

"Good idea Momo," Matsumoto said, nodding her head in approval of her friend's plan. She hadn't cared much about the threat to Soul Society when she'd watched her captain collapse however now that they were back in the Seireitei she realized that the threat shouldn't be ignored. Luckily Hinamori had the foresight to think of a way to solve the problem and she was grateful for this fact.

Leaving her best friend in Matsumoto's capable hands Hinamori used her flash-step to disappear while the Squad Ten vice-captain quickly made her way across the Seireitei toward the Squad Four barracks. She wanted to get her captain into the care of the Medical Corp. as quickly as possible although she was fairly sure that he was just suffering from exhaustion. He was pale and had a tortured look however his breathing was even and his pulse rate was steady.

As Matsumoto walked toward the front entrance of Squad Four she saw that the vice-captain of said squad was just stepping out. The lavender haired woman gazed up and she seemed surprised when her gaze fell upon Matsumoto, who held her limp and seemingly lifeless captain in her arms.

"Rangiku-san!" Isane exclaimed as she rushed over to Matsumoto. Her gaze quickly surveyed the limp form of Captain Hitsugaya before her eyes found their way back to the Squad Ten vice-captain. "What happened?"

"He just collapsed," Matsumoto replied, thinking back to the conversation that she had been having with her captain and deciding to keep it on a need to know basis. "Although he hasn't been sleeping well for quite some time. I think he's just exhausted."

"Right," Isane said, immediately turning back toward the entrance of Squad Four. "Well let's get him inside and make sure that it isn't something more serious."

Matsumoto nodded and followed Isane inside, her captain still held gently and carefully in her arms.

* * *

"Captain Aizen."

Captain of Squad Five Sousuke Aizen glanced up from his paperwork as he heard the voice of his vice-captain call out to him. Hinamori's voice sounded somewhat desperate and Aizen briefly wondered what was wrong with her. He offered the young girl a reassuring smile as she stepped inside his office however he also appeared to be slightly confused about her appearance. "Momo. . . what are you doing here? I thought that you volunteered to go to the world of the living to help Toushirou. Is everything alright?"

"I did captain," Hinamori said as she came to stand in front of her superior's desk, gazing down at him with the same look of devotion that she always wore while in his presence. Being his vice-captain was all that she had ever wanted and she knew that her kind hearted captain would help her out with her current situation. She just knew it. "But Toushirou collapsed and we had to bring him back to Soul Society. Rangiku-san took him to Squad Four."

Aizen's eyes widened. "Is he alright Momo?"

Hinamori nodded, warmed as always by the concern of her beloved captain. "We think that he's just mentally and physically exhausted, due to the nightmares that he's been having and the stress of the search. I was kinda hoping that you'd take over his assignment until he recovers captain."

Aizen held a thoughtful expression on his face for a few seconds before nodding. He offered the young woman another reassuring smile. "Don't worry Momo, I'll take care of it. You should go to Squad Four and check on Toushirou, after all he's your best friend."

Tears appeared in Hinamori's eyes and she had to resist the urge to run and embrace her captain. Not for the first time she found herself thinking how lucky she was to be in Squad Five with Captain Aizen, the greatest captain in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. "Thank you so much Captain Aizen."

Aizen nodded and watched as his vice-captain turned and walked out of the office. "And now to go to the world of the living."

A/N - and there's yet another chapter. Poor Toushirou, he really has it rough. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review and tell me what you thought. Til next time this is Hitsu-taichou signing out.


	9. Someone to Confide In

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Nine - Someone to Confide In

"Did you hear what happened Jyuushirou?" Kyouraku asked as he barged into Ukitake's office, not even bothering to knock. Not that he ever bothered to knock. He was certain that his best friend hadn't heard the news that he had came to relay however he posed the question anyway.

Ukitake was used to the fact that his flamboyant friend never knocked and he calmly glanced up as Kyouraku casually made his way across the office toward the spot where he was sitting. "What are you talking about Shunsui?"

"The kid was brought back to the Seireitei today," Kyouraku explained as he sat down on the floor across from his friend.

Ukitake's eyes widened as he heard this news, not needing any explanation as to who the kid was. There was only one person that it could be, Toushirou. "Is he okay? What happened?"

"Apparently he just collapsed," Kyouraku said, noting the anxious look in Ukitake's eyes. His friend had always held a soft spot for the young prodigy, ever since the day that he first entered the Shinigami Academy, and Kyouraku had known that he would want to know that he had been brought to Squad Four. "Rangiku-chan brought him back to the Seireitei and Aizen took over his assignment in the world of the living."

"I should go and see him," Ukitake muttered, more to himself than to his friend.

Kyouraku started to speak however he could tell by the expression on his face that Ukitake was no longer paying any attention to him. With a laugh Kyouraku thought to himself that his best friend was probably making a mental note of all of the sweets that he was going to take to the young Captain of Squad Ten.

"The poor guy," he thought to himself.

* * *

Hitsugaya could still feel his eyes burning and he slowly reached up and rubbed at them with the back of their hands. Groaning softly the young captain pulled himself to a half-sitting, half-lying position, still groggy and somewhat confused as to where he was. The last thing he remembered was being told by Matsumoto that Midori, his mother, was a Shinigami.

The Squad Ten Captain gasped and attempted to pull himself into a fully upright position.

"Take it easy Captain Hitsugaya," a soft, soothing voice said.

Hitsugaya glanced sideways out of the corner of his eye and saw that it was Captain Unohana who had spoken. Now realizing that he was in the Squad Four barracks, Hitsugaya glanced down and saw that there was an IV tube in his arm, it's other end leading up to a bag of fluid that was hanging from a pole at his bedside. "How did I get here?"

"Matsumoto-san brought you here after you collapsed in the world of the living," Captain Unohana informed him.

"I can't believe I allowed this to happen," Hitsugaya said as he made a move to remove the IV line from his arm. He had a mission to complete and didn't have time to spend in the infirmary. Angry at himself for this display of weakness the young captain scowled. "I have work to do."

"Hold it," Captain Unohana said, her voice firm as she walked the six steps over to the young captain's bedside and grabbed his wrist. She pulled his hand away from the IV line, a stern expression in her normally kind and passive face. She didn't show this side of her personality very often however she was determined not to allow the young captain to jeopardize his health just because he was determined to be stubborn. "You're still too weak to leave Squad Four Captain Hitsugaya. Whatever you feel you have to do will just have to wait."

"But. . ."

"No," Captain Unohana said, her tone telling the young captain that she would accept no arguments.

Hitsugaya growled low in his throat but he realized that he wouldn't be able to win this argument so, giving up, he once again placed his head on the pillow. He wasn't happy about the situation that he now found himself in but he was resigned to it. After all the Squad Four Captain could be very scary when she wanted to and Hitsugaya had no desire to evoke such wrath. He'd heard horror stories from other Shinigami who had pressed their luck and regretted it later.

"Thank you," Unohana said, turning to leave the room. "I have other patients to see to but if you need anything someone will be close by." The Squad Four Captain took a couple of steps across the room and then turned back to the young prodigy. With a knowing look in her kind eyes she pointed a finger in his direction. "And don't even think about getting up."

"Right."

Hitsugaya gazed up at the ceiling and listened to the sound of the door closing. He couldn't believe that he was in this situation and found himself irritated all over again. Grabbing the sheets, the young captain once again growled low in his throat.

"Wow," a voice called out. "That was harsh."

Startled by the voice, not having heard anyone enter the room, Hitsugaya glanced toward the door. His eyes widened as his teal-eyed gaze fell upon Captain Ukitake of Squad Thirteen. "What are you doing here?" the young captain asked.

Ukitake walked over to the young prodigy's bedside and sat down beside him. "I heard that you had been brought back from the world of the living and I wanted to make sure that you were alright."

"I'm. . ." Hitsugaya started to tell the older captain that he was alright however for some unknown reason he pasused. Then, with a long sigh, the young boy said, "I need to know something Ukitake."

"What is it?" Ukitake asked, picking up on the strange behavior of Hitsugaya.

"To your knowledge is there any way for a Shinigami to gain the powers of a Hollow?"

Ukitake gasped as he heard this question from the boy. "Why are you asking me this Toushirou?"

Hitsugaya briefly debated his answer and then decided on the truth. Or at least part of the truth, the part that he was willing to share with others. Other things would remain solely his. "The enemy that I was sent to stop, the person attempting to breech the barrier into the world of the living, is a woman named Midori. She has a piece of a mask on the side of her head but she also has a zanpaktou, Gaka no Tamashii."

Ukitake gasped as he heard the name of the zanpaktou. It couldn't be. It simply wasn't possible.

Hitsugaya noticed the change in Ukitake's expression and he knew that the older captain knew something. "What is it? What do you know Ukitake?"

A vision of a lovely young girl flashed into Ukitake's mind and he smiled ruefully at the memory. "Midori was the third seat of Squad Ten and a member of one of the four noble clans. Extremely gifted she rose quickly through the ranks however she disappeared during a mission to the world of the living. She was listed as missing in action and we all presumed her dead although we could never confirm her death."

"So you knew her?" Matsumoto had discovered the name on one of the registeries in the library however it had been obvious that she hadn't known the woman. But here was someone who had actually known his mother, someone who remembered her from her days as a Shinigami.

Ukitake nodded. "She was a sweet girl, always laughing. Midori had a tremendous sense of duty and would do anything to uphold the honor of her family."

Hitsugaya nodded, shocked by the words that Ukitake had spoken. Most of his memories were of his mother's abuse and it was hard to reconcile those memories with what Ukitake had just told him. What had happened after her disappearance to change her from the woman that Ukitake remembered to the woman that Hitsugaya had known? To the woman who had ended his life.

Ukitake noticed the distant look that had appeared in the young captain's teal eyes and he leaned forward, speaking to the boy in a quiet voice. "Are you alright Toushirou?"

"I'm fine," the young captain said quickly.

Ukitake knew immediately that Hitsugaya wasn't being completely honest with him and he gazed at the young captain intently. "You know that you can talk to me Toushirou. Everyone needs someone to confide in and trust me you aren't any different."

Not wanting Ukitake to know that something was wrong, striving to maintain the distance that he had always kept between himself and others, Hitsugaya nodded. The young captain forced his features into their normal, stoic appearance and gazed at Ukitake. "I have to find out what's going on. You say that Midori was a Shinigami once but now she's something different. I saw the mask but I don't understand what it means."

"Don't worry Toushirou," Ukitake said, getting to his feet and placing a comforting hand on Hitsugaya's shoulder. He gave the boy's shoulder a gentle squeeze, to let the kid know that he didn't have to go through everything alone. "We'll find out what it means."

Hitsugaya was confused, he hadn't asked for Ukitake's help, but the Squad Thirteen Captain merely smiled at him with a knowing look in his kind eyes. "You don't have to go through everything alone Toushirou. You have friends that you can count on if only you will."

At a loss for words the young captain could only watch as Ukitake made his way toward the door. The older captain paused after only a few steps however and quickly walked back over to Hitsugaya's bedside. There was a look on his face as though he had forgotton something important.

"I can't believe that I almost forgot," Ukitake said, reaching into one of the long sleeves of his captain's haori.

"What is it?" Hitsugaya asked, a curious expression in his teal eyes.

As though in answer to the boy's question Ukitake began pulling an assortment of candy from his sleeve, piling it on the bed beside Hitsugaya. "I thought that these might cheer you up," Ukitake said with a smile as the stunned Captain of Squad Ten watched the pile grow larger and larger.

Then, once he'd emptied his stash, Ukitake offered Hitsugaya another wide smile and quickly left the room.

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes as he gazed down at the large pile of sweets that Ukitake had placed on his bed. Shaking his head he ran a hand through his unruly white hair. "Why does he always insist on doing this to me?" he muttered. This had been an ongoing phenomenon since the day that he'd first met the Squad Thirteen Captain and no matter how many times he told the older man that he didn't like candy Ukitake still insisted on giving it to him.

"Oh come on captain," Matsumoto said, peaking her head through the opening of the door as though afraid to step foot inside the room. "I think it's kind of cute."

A bowl, which had once contained water, went sailing past and barely missed colliding with the side of her head. This was exactly why she had chosen not to enter the room before making the comment however, despite the fact that she had obviously irritated him with the comment, she couldn't help but smile as she watched him fold his small arms over his chest like a petulent child.

* * *

The smile disappeared from Ukitake's face the moment he closed the door of Hitsugaya's room and, with a sigh, he began to make his way down the hallway. Walking briskly he made his way to an office that he was very much acquainted with, being a frequent visitor to Squad Four. When he arrived at the office he knocked lightly on the door and almost immediately recieved permission to enter.

Ukitake slid the door open and stepped inside the office. His searching gaze immediately fell upon Captain Unohana and it appeared as though she had just recently returned to the office. Her arms were still laden with a large stack of paperwork and she was standing beside her desk. As her gaze took in her visitor she offered Ukitake a smile. "Hello Jyuushirou," she said in her customary, quiet voice. "Did you come by to visit Captain Hitsugaya?"

Ukitake nodded, his thoughts briefly returning to the young prodigy, who had appeared troubled. "And I learned something interesting during my visit."

"Oh?" Unohana said as she placed the stack of papers down on her desk. "And what's that?"

"Do you remember Midori Hara?"

Captain Unohana's eyes widened at the mention of the name. "The young member of Squad Ten who disappeared?"

Ukitake nodded. "According to Toushirou she's the one who's attempting to breech the barrier between Soul Society and the world of the living. And what's worse, she seems to have somehow acquired the powers of a Hollow on top of the Shinigami powers that she already possessed."

"Are you sure that it was really her?" Unohana asked.

"Toushirou knew the name of her zanpaktou," Ukitake said in a serious voice.

"This isn't good," Unohana said.

"No it isn't," Ukitake said, completely agreeing with her. Then, after a brief pause and a moment's thought, he changed the subject. "Since I'm here there's something else that I would like to ask you. How is it that you knew about the sealing kidou when Shunsui and I did not?"

"Simple," Unohana said, an expression of deepest shame appearing on her face. "I was there when the kidou was performed. Most of Squad Four are adept at kidou, since our powers are healing, and I was recruited to help with the ceremony. I'm not proud of what I did however I was given an order and I had no choice but to obey."

"I understand," Ukitake said. "It's not your fault, I just wanted to know."

Unohana nodded.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"I can't believe that you've continuously failed to infiltrate Soul Society," the masked figure snapped, glaring at Midori. The only part of his body that was visible through the mask that he wore was his eyes. Normally so cold they were now snapping with fire, which was a sure sign that the man was irritated over the sitation.

For her part the former Shinigami merely stared at the man who was helping her to break through the barrier that separated the worlds. She had to fight the urge to tell the man to take a hike however she realized that she did in fact need his help so she corraled her tongue and didn't turn the thoughts into words. Unfortunately she couldn't keep the scathing look from her teal eyes as she stared at him.

"I suppose that I'm going to have to help you or else it's never going to get done."

A/N - poor Toushirou, again with the candy. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review and tell me your thoughts. Til next time this is Hitsu-taichou signing out.


	10. Intruder Alert

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Ten - Intruder Alert

Things in Squad Four were quiet and Captain Unohana was using this time to catch up on some of the paperwork that she was behind on. She was seated at her desk, working on said paperwork, when she heard the sound of someone entering Squad Four. Then, a couple of minutes later, she heard someone gasp, "Captain Aizen, are you alright?" This question was quickly followed by the sound of something hitting the floor.

Jumping to her feet, paperwork immediately forgotten, Unohana quickly left her office and ran down the hallway to the spot where one of her subordinates, Hanatarou Yamada, was kneeling on the floor with his hand on the shoulder of an injured and bloody Captain Aizen. A frantic looking Hinamori was standing over her superior and the Squad Four member, wringing her hands as she gazed at Captain Aizen.

"What happened Sousuke?" the Squad Four Captain asked as she too knelt at his side.

"The enemy that Captain Hitsugaya was sent to stop was stronger than we first suspected," Captain Aizen replied, his left hand clutching an injury to his right shoulder which seemed to be the most serious of his wounds. "She got the drop on me and before I could recover she had gotten past me and entered the Senkaimon. I tried to track her down but I couldn't find her and I'm not sure if she managed to make it through the Senkaimon into Soul Society. She has an incredible ability to conceal her reiatsu from detection."

"I'll send word to Head Captain Yamamoto at once," Captain Unohana said, getting to her feet. "Hanatarou make sure that Captain Aizen is taken care of."

"Yes ma'am," Hanatarou said.

"That isn't necessary Retsu," Aizen said as he made an attempt to stand under his own power. "I only came here because Momo insister. I should go out and help the others search for the woman. After all it was my fault that she got into Soul Society so I really should help them look for her."

Aizen made a move toward the exit however Unohana turned on him with a threatening gleam in her usually kind eyes. "You will stay here until your wounds have been taken care of," Unohana said in a voice that declared there would be no argument. They may be even in rank but in Squad Four she called all the shots and her words were law.

"Right," Aizen said.

Convinced that Aizen would follow her orders Captain Unohana turned away from the group and walked away. She had to inform the Head Captain that there was the possibility that someone had breeched the barrier and broken into Soul Society. Measures would have to be taken to protect the Seireitei from the intruder who was now more than likely lurking somewhere in the Rukongai.

More guards would also have to be dispatched to protect the Seal, in case that was indeed the target that the intruder had in mind.

* * *

Matsumoto had left her captain briefly so that she could do a little more research but now she was on her way back to his room. It wasn't safe to leave the young prodigy alone for long periods of time since he was a high escape risk. After all, he was still annoyed over the fact that Captain Unohana had ordered him not to leave his bed and knowing his personality Matsumoto wouldn't put it past her captain to make a run for it. Luckily everyone in Squad Four knew that he wasn't allowed to leave so he was effectively trapped.

And he would be trapped for some time because there was just no way that Captain Unohana would let him leave until she was absolutely sure that he was okay.

Sliding the door open quietly, in an effort not to disturb Captain Hitsugaya should he be sleeping, the Squad Ten Vice-captain entered the room and as her eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness she saw that Hitsugaya was indeed awake and was sitting up in bed. The white-haired prodigy had his arms crossed over his small chest and did not look happy with his current situation.

Matsumoto smiled despite herself. In this situation he looked like any normal little kid, not that she would ever tell him that.

"Captain!" Matsumoto exclaimed as she entered his room in the Squad Four barracks. Relief was shining in her blue eyes as she gazed down at her small captain, who appeared even smaller in the large bed in which he was currently lying. "You're looking better." A strange expression appeared on the Squad Ten vice-captain's face as she gazed at her captain. "I'm glad. I was worried about you."

"I'm fine," Hitsugaya told her in his customary, gruff tone of voice. He knew that he should be nicer to her, that she had only been concerned about his well being, but he couldn't help the fact that he was annoyed with her for bringing him back to Soul Society. He had been given a mission, not just by the Head Captain but it seemed by fate its self, and he couldn't accomplish that mission lying in a bed in Squad Four. And he couldn't leave Squad Four until Captain Unohana gave him permission. That fact had been made abundantly clear to him.

"We'll you sound like you're back to normal," Matsumoto muttered.

"Just wonderf. . ." Hitsugaya's words were cut short by the sound of an alarm. Both captain and vice-captain were immedietely on high alert. This particular alarm never sounded unless there was an intruder in Soul Society. "You have got to be kidding me," the young captain muttered as he pulled the IV line from his arm and quickly got to his feet.

"Captain. . ."

Hitsugaya turned to his vice-captain, a determined expression in his teal colored eyes. "I don't have time to be here right now. Don't you get it Matsumoto? That alarm means that someone, more than likely the enemy I was supposed to stop, has entered Soul Society illegally. I have to go and see what's happening." The young captain didn't express his fears out loud however in his mind he added, _"And if it really is Midori then this is all my fault."_

"Right," Matsumoto said, knowing that her captain would feel guilty if it turned out that Midori really was the intruder to Soul Society. Even though it wasn't his fault that he had collapsed due to exhaustion she knew that Hitsugaya wouldn't see it that way.

Pulling his captain's haori on over the shihakush that he already wore Hitsugaya quickly made his way toward the door and Matsumoto immediately fell into step behind her captain. She knew that there would be no way to talk him out of going after the intruder but she also knew that there was no way that she was going to allow him to go alone.

Together Captain and vice-captain left the safety of the Squad Four infirmary and stepped out into the bright light of the Seireitei. And as they excited the two officers heard a disembodied voice begin to speak over the loud speaker, "Attention all Captains, vice-captains, and seated officers. An unknown entity has breeched the barrier between Soul Society and the world of the living and is now somewhere in the Rukongai. Exact position unknown. All officers are to remain on guard and prevent this intruder from entering the Seireitei. That is all."

"That doesn't sound like a very proactive way to do things," Matsumoto muttered, however she was forced to refocus her attention as her captain began walking away from her. "Captain. . . where are you going?"

"To the Rukongai," Hitsugaya replied, a distant look in his teal eyes. He knew that Midori was far from the Seireitei and he wanted to make sure that she never reached the home of the Shinigami. The woman held secrets that Hitsugaya didn't want anyone else to learn about and he was determined to stop her before she had the chance to tell anyone exactly who she was.

"Why?" Matsumoto wanted to know. They had just received orders to remain in the Seireitei and remain on guard and now, not ten seconds later, her captain had decided to disregard those orders and travel out into the Rukongai. This was way out of character for Hitsugaya, who normally followed the rules and obeyed orders. Something was definitely off about this situation.

"Because that's where we're going to find Midori," Hitsugaya replied in a quiet voice, now certain that his mother was indeed the person who had infiltrated Soul Society. His mind was going a hundred miles a second; he knew that she would insist on accompanying him and yet he did not want her to know Midori's secret either. How could he bring this situation under control without his subordinates and peers finding out some very unpleasant facts about him?

"You really think it's her captain?" Matsumoto asked, not failing to notice the expression in his teal eyes. This particular mission was eating at him but Matsumoto couldn't figure out why. What was it about the former Shinigami turned Arrancar that had him so on edge?

Without answering the question posed to him by his vice-captain Hitsugaya continued walking. He knew that she was going to follow him and, sure enough, Matsumoto quickly ran to catch up. His vice-captain silently fell into step behind him, seemingly deciding that she would have the answer to her question when they arrived at their destination and would have to be content to wait until then.

Hitsugaya hadn't had time to grab his communicator when he'd left Squad Four however he found that he didn't really need it. It was as though he could feel Midori's reiatsu signal pulsing from within his own body. Somehow he had become atuned to her unique signal and he used this internal homing beacon to trace her location.

"She's in one of the outer districts," Hitsugaya murmured, more to himself than to his vice-captain. What was her purpose for invading Soul Society and why, once she had achieved this goal, would she remain in one of the outer districts of the Rukongai? It didn't make any sense to the young captain. Intruders didn't enter Soul Society often but when they did they always attempted to break into the Seireitei.

Always.

Matsumoto didn't ask how it was that her captain knew this. She merely accepted the fact that he did and followed him toward the gate that surrounded the Seireiteie and separated it from the Rukongai. Two Shinigami were guarding the gate however they stood at attention and allowed the two Squad Ten officers to pass unchallenged. Despite the announcement that all officers were to guard the Seireitei none of the lower ranked Shinigami would dare attempt to stop a captain and vice-captain.

Stepping out into District One Hitsugaya began walking briskly through the Rukongai, with his loyal vice-captain following along behind him. He had to hurry and locate Midori before she succeeded at whatever it was she was trying to do. He had to protect Soul Society from this woman and make sure that she was stopped.

And he had to proctect himself in the process.

A/N - So Midori has managed to break into Soul Society. What is it that she wants? Will she succeed? Will Toushirou manage to keep his relationship with her a secret? Read more to find out the answers. Hitsu-taichou


	11. Motives and Musings

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Eleven - Motives and Musings

Captain Hitsugaya made his way through the Rukongai like a man possessed. There was a determined expression in his teal eyes and even though Matsumoto couldn't see this from her position behind her captain she was well aware of the fact that something was definately different about him. There was a frenzied feeling as she followed the snowy-haired youth through the forests of the Rukongai and she found herself wondering what exactly it was that he was hiding.

For his part Hitsugaya was resisting the urge to quicken his flash-step and elude his vice-captain. He didn't want her to find out about his connection with Midori but at the same time he didn't want to arouse her suspicion by running off. He knew that he was faster than his subordinate and could escape however she would be suspicious of his motives if he chose such an action.

The young captain clenched his hands into fists as he realized that it was simply a no win situation.

"Why did she have to show up now?" Hitsugaya thought to himself as he used his flash-step to quickly travel through the districts of the Rukongai. "Why, after all this time?" Hitsugaya had completely forgotten his life in the world of the living after death had mercifully set him free from the hell that he had been enduring.

So why had Midori shown up now and threatened his tenuous grip on happiness?

* * *

"Halt!" one of the guards called out as his gaze fell upon an unfamiliar figure slowly walking toward the spot where he was standing.

Midori briefly halted her advance toward the tree that was surrounded by a glowing blue aura and her gaze shifted to the group of Shinigami who were guarding the site. A smirk appeared on her face as she took in their numbers however it did not dampen her resolve.

She would break the seal.

"So," a calm voice called out, drawing everyone's attention to a silver haired man wearing a shihakusho and a white haori. The man's eyes were narrowed to the point that it was impossible to see his pupils and there was a fox-like smirk on his face. "You're the one everybody's all riled up about huh?"

Midori eyed the captain calmly, not even remotely concerned by his presence. Nothing would stop her from breaking the seal now that she had managed to locate it, not even a captain class Shinigami and an entire squad of soldiers. Without breaking eye contact the woman pulled a sword from the sheath that she wore in her sash and held up the blade.

"Paint the skies with blood, Gaka no Tamashii!"

"Oh my," Squad Three Captain Gin Ichimaru said as he gazed at the blade that the woman was holding. The blade was shimmering with a rainbow of colors and was truly breathtaking.

* * *

"Do you feel that Captain?" Matsumoto asked as both she and Captain Hitsugaya slid to a halt. The young captain nodded, his gaze focused in the direction that the eerily familiar reiatsu was radiating from. Midori was fighting someone and Hitsugaya knew that this did not bode well.

"Matsumoto!" he snapped, instantly gaining the attention of his subordinate. "Let's go!"

"Right!" Matsumoto realized that they didn't have a moment to spare now that the intruder had engaged in battle. Not to mention the fact that she could feel a familiar reiatsu involved in the battle that was raging not far from the spot where they were. "Gin," she thought to herself as she followed along behind her captain.

Doubling the speed of their flash-step it wasn't long before the two Squad Ten officers arrived in the clearing. Matsumoto gasped as her gaze fell upon the scene of utter destruction that was awaiting their arrival in the clearing. Midori stood in the center, sword in hand, surrounded by bodies.

"GIN!" Matsumoto internally screamed as her gaze fell upon her childhood friend. He was lying on the ground, a short distance from his fallen subordinates.

"Why?" Hitsugaya snarled as he drew Hyourinmaru from the sheath that he wore across his back.

"Don't look at me like that," Midori said in a calm voice, her gaze locked on the young boy's face. "An unforgivable crime was commited here and these people were trying to hide it. But I intend to make sure that all of Soul Society pays."

Holding the tip of Hyourinmaru pointed toward the sky, Hitsugaya whispered, "Reign over the frosted, frozen sky, Hyourinmaru!"

Midori was forced to jump back as the dragon of water and ice descended from the heavens and a new respect for the child formed in her mind. It was true that he was fighting for the wrong side but his skills could not be denied.

Swinging her blade in a sideways arch in front of her Midori released a burst of reiatsu that was blood red in color. Hitsugaya jumped back, blocking the attack with the blade of Hyourinmaru, however he couldn't fail to miss the smirk that had appeared on Midori's face.

Instinctively glancing down at the hand that held Hyourinmaru he saw that several cuts had appeared on his arm. He sucked in his breath as he felt the wounds for the first time however he refused to allow the pain to distract him from the battle. Shrugging off the wounds the young boy jumped into the air and once again launched the ice dragon in the direction of his opponent.

Midori effortlessly dodged the attack, landing lighty on the ground a few feet away from the spot where the ice dragon had collided with the ground. Gazing over at her opponent she could tell that he was fighting to hide his emotions as well as holding back.

"It seems somehow fitting that your power is ice," Midori said in a quiet voice, fixing Hitsugaya with a strange look.

"Why is she looking at him like that?" Matsumoto thought to herself as she caught sight of the expression on Midori's face. It was in this moment that she caught sight of the woman's eyes and she fought back the gasp that wanted to escape. "Those eyes. . . they're his eyes. . ."

Ignoring the taunt Hitsugaya launched himself toward the woman, holding the blade of his sword out in front of him. Midori raised her own sword, blocking the initial blow, however she was forced to go on the offensive as Hitsugaya rained down blow after blow.

Midori fought to block the barrage of attacks and somehow managed to regain the upper hand. Effectively switching places with the young captain she went completely on the offensive, swinging her sword like a woman possessed.

Hitsugaya blocked the series of blows from Midori's sword and then used the chain attached to the hilt of Hyourinmaru to bring her blade to a grinding hault. Midori briefly glanced down at the chain that was wrapped around her sword, following it back to Hitsugaya, and then pulled her sword free.

"I must admit that you have skills child," Midori said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. "But that alone won't be enough," she added in the same quiet voice, her hand reaching for the piece of mask that was perched on the side of her head.

"What the. . ." Hitsugaya whispered, unable to tear his gaze from Midori.

* * *

"Shunsui!" Captain Ukitake called out as he ran across the courtyard of Squad Eight. He knew that he would be able to find his best friend lying in the shade of his favorite tree and for once he was glad that Kyouraku was such a slacker. That one overwhelming character trait really came in handy at times like this when Ukitake really needed to find his friend.

Pushing his hat further back on his head Kyouraku focused his gaze on his best friend. "What is it Jyuu?"

"Captain Unohana informed me that Toushirou left the infirmary earlier," Ukitake said, a concerned expression in his kind eyes.

"Well I'm sure the kid knows what's best," Kyouraku said calmly, attempting to releave some of the anxiety that his friend seemed to be plagued with.

"That's not why I'm here," Ukitake said as he came to a stop. "Reports are coming in that there is a tremendous battle being fought out in the Rukongai." An intense look appeared in the Squad Thirteen Captain's eyes at this point. "District 63 to be precise. I think that Toushirou went after the invader."

"Well then what are we waiting for?" In one fluid motion Kyouraku jumped to his feet and began walking toward the gate that led out of the courtyard. "If that's the case then the boy genius is going to need our help."

"Right," Ukitake said, quickly falling into step behind his friend. They would be disobeying their orders by leaving the Seireitei however the threat seemed to be out in the Rukongai and if that were the case then two of their fellow captains needed their help.

The choice between obeying orders and helping their comrades was simply no contest.

* * *

"It shouldn't have came down to this child," Midori said as she removed her hand from the piece of mask and was surrounded by a vast aura. "I didn't want to fight you like this, I hate using these powers. They aren't natural and quite frankly they scare me but I will save him and nothing you do will stop me."

"Save who?" Hitsugaya snapped as he watched the woman undergo a strange transformation. Her appearance changed, as well as her clothes, making her appear much more like a Hollow than a Shinigami.

"Toushirou Hitsugaya," Midori said in a reverent whisper, his teal eyes briefly flashing to the tree that was glowing with an immense blue aura.

Matsumoto gasped as she heard the name that escaped the lips of the former Shinigami. What could she possibly mean? She was fighting against Toushirou Hitsugaya and at the same time vowing to save him. Clearly the woman was insane.

A far away look appeared in Hitsugaya's eyes, the eyes that were an exact match for the very woman that he was fighting. Seemingly forgetting that Matsumoto was still around he whispered, "That's all that's ever mattered to you isn't it? Finding him. Did it ever occur to you that maybe he doesn't want to be found?"

"Silence!" Midori screeched, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "You don't know what you're talking about child!"

Hitsugaya could tell that he'd struck a nerve with her but he found that he didn't care. This woman had transformed into something else even before becoming a Hollow and he found that he had always known the reason why. The disappearance of her husband had unhinged her and then, when he had grown to look exactly like his father, it had became more than she could bare.

"It was because I looked like him," the young captain said in a quiet and somewhat tremulous voice. He had always possessed this knowledge, tucked safely in the recesses of his mind, but this was the first time that he had ever admitted the fact to himself. "That's the reason why you hated me so much. . . it was all because of him."

"I never hated you," Midori said, regaining some of her composure. "I loved you with all my heart and then you, too, left me. You left me all alone Shirou-chan!"

"You killed me!" Hitsugaya snarled, his narrow eyed gaze focused on his 'mother'. "You slit my wrists and watched me die!"

Matsumoto gasped, her eyes widening in horror, as she realized what it was that her captain had just said. This woman, this Hollow who was attacking Soul Society, was the woman that had killed him. Then she thought about the woman's earlier words and everything fell into place.

This woman was Captain Hitsugaya's mother.

A/N - poor Hitsugaya, couldn't keep the secret. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review and share your thoughts. Til next time this is Hitsu-taichou signing out.


	12. Broken Seal

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Twelve - Broken Seal

Matsumoto could only stare in shock at her young captain; words could not express how surprised she was to find out that Hitsugaya's mother was the enemy that they had been pursuing. And what was more confusing was the fact that Hitsugaya remembered his life before he came to Soul Society. To her knowledge this had never happened before. She'd always known that the young prodigy was special but this was unexpected.

Midori shook her head as though to deny Hitsugaya's accusation. "You left me," she maintained, raising her sword. "I wandered alone for so long, lost and on the verge of completely losing myself. Luckily HE showed up before that happened. HE saved me and then told me about the atrocities committed by Soul Society."

"Who told you?" Hitsugaya demanded, his full attention focused on Midori. Who was it that had sent her on this path? And why?

"I do not know his name," Midori said as she held up her zanpaktou, her hands clenching the hilt so hard that her knuckles actually turned white. There was a stricken expression in her teal eyes as she gazed at the young boy however she vowed that she would not lose sight of her goal. Not now that she was so close. "However he saved me and then gave me the power necessary to reclaim my lost love."

At this point Midori's teal eyes once again shifted to the tree. Holding up her blade she made a move toward the tree, a strange glint in the eyes that were a mirror image of Hitsugaya's own.

"Captain!" Matsumoto cried out, attempting to break the trance that seemed to have enveloped her superior. "We can't let her break the seal!"

Quickly snapping back to himself Hitsugaya held up his sword and dashed toward Midori. Calling forth a speed that he did not know he possessed Hitsugaya managed to get between Midori and the tree however his reflexes weren't fast enough to completely block her blow and the young captain gasped in pain as he felt the tip of her blade pierce the flesh of his shoulder. Blood stained the young captain's hoari, pooling around the blade that was lodged in his shoulder.

"CAPTAIN!"

Midori pulled the blade of her sword free from the young captain's shoulder and jumped back a couple of feet. "Why?" she demanded as she glared at the boy, completely unable to comprehend his actions. The look she gave him was reminiscent of the look a parent would give an unruly child and the young captain found that he had to force himself not to lose himself to visions of his childhood in the world of the living.

"Because it's my duty," Hitsugaya replied, forcing himself to block out the physical pain from his wound. The emotional pain was a little more difficult to forget however he knew that he would have to if he were to emerge from this battle victorious. He had to stop looking at this woman as his mother and begin looking at her as his enemy. An enemy who had just stabbed him and was no going to once again attempt to break the Seal and release the demon.

Growling low in her throat Midori lunged toward the boy, attempting to shove him aside with pure brute strength. Having anticipated this move from his opponent Hitsugaya dodged to the side, avoiding her attack. Then, before she had the chance to recover, he swung the blade of his own zanpaktou.

Midori blocked the blow and swung her own sword. "You will not stop me."

"I will," Hitsugaya growled, swinging his sword furiously.

Shards of ice erupted from the tip of Hyourinmaru, flying toward Midori with deadly accuracy. Swinging her own sword by it's hilt Midori managed to block most of the shards. Unfortunately for her a few managed to make it through her defenses and the former Shinigami sucked in her breath as she felt a stinging pain in her left side.

Quickly regaining her composure Midori locked her gaze on Hitsugaya and held up her blade. An immense, blood red aura grew around her and Matsumoto made a move to join the fight. Jumping forward the Squad Ten vice-captain's hand went to the sheathed sword that she wore secured at the small of her back. She halted her advance however as her captain turned to face her, a piercing look in his teal eyes.

"Stay back Matsumoto," the young captain ordered as he quickly turned his attention back to his opponent. He knew that taking his eyes off of his enemy wasn't a smart move however he had to make sure that his vice-captain didn't interfere in his battle.

"Yes sir," Matsumoto said reluctantly.

She didn't want to maintain her distance and watch as her captain engaged in battle with the former Shinigami turned Arrancar however she respected him enough to obey his orders, despite her desire to help.

* * *

"Come on Shunsui," Ukitake called out as the two captains quickly made their way through the Rukongai. He could feel the aura caused by the battle that was being fought and he desperately wanted to get to the scene before anything happened to the young Captain of Squad Ten.

Kyouraku nodded, clearly feeling the growing reiatsu of Captain Hitsugaya and his opponent. It was obvious that the kid was involved in a difficult battle and the sooner reinforcements arrived then the better things would be.

And yet, as dire as the situation seemed, Kyouraku couldn't help but reflect on the situation. He glanced over at his long time friend, a smirk on his face. "I can't believe you're actually breaking the rules like this Jyuushirou."

"What are you talking about?" Ukitake asked as the two captains continued on their way toward the battlefield. "I've broken lots of rules with you. Or are you forgetting the time I provided an alibi for you after you painted Yamamoto-sensei's office pink?"

A smile appeared on the Squad Eight Captain's face as he recalled that incident.

* * *

Now angered beyond measure that this child was standing between her and the man that she loved a gleam appeared in Midori's eyes as she held her hand up in front of her face. Hitsugaya's eyes widened in shock as he watched the partial mask grow until it was a complete mask, covering the entirety of her face. And as the mask formed the reiatsu that was surrounding the woman grew in intensity.

"Captain!" Matsumoto called out as Midori raised her sword and lunged toward her captain, her speed now greatly increased.

"Damn," Hitsugaya muttered as he just barely managed to flash-step out of the path of her intended attack. A tremendous blue aura began to grow around the young captain and Midori paused as her gaze lingered on the child. The former Shinigami's teal eyes widened as she watched the aura grow around the young captain. This sight was reminiscent of the aura that her husband had possessed and she was momentarily spellbound by the transformation.

"Ban. . . kai. . ." Hitsugaya murmured as he held Hyourinmaru out in front of him.

Midori watched as huge wings of ice erupted from Hitsugaya's back while at the same time ice wound it's way from the hilt of the sword and completely engulfed the young captain's right arm. "Unreal," she thought to herself as she felt the child's powers swell.

Caught slightly off guard by Hitsugaya's powers Midori willed herself to summon forth untapped powers. She would need everything that she had to defeat this child and she had to defeat this child in order to break the seal and free her love.

Matsumoto had to brace herself in order to remain standing as the reiatsu of her captain combined with that of the enemy. Never before had she sensed such outrageous powers and she found herself silently praying for her captain's safety. She knew that Hitsugaya was powerful, one of the strongest captains that the Thirteen Court Guard Squads had seen in centuries, however he wasn't invincible.

The sound of steel clashing against steel rang out through the forest of District 63 as Hitsugaya and Midori once again engaged one another in combat. Matsumoto struggled to maintain eye contact with her captain however she found that it was almost more than she could do to keep up with them.

Hitsugaya furiously blocked blow after blow from Midori's zanpaktou, all the while marveling at her strength and speed. He was more of a match for her now that he had evoked his Bankai transformation however she still managed to keep up with him. Growling low in his throat the young captain jumped back a few feet, swinging Hyourinmaru out in an arch in front of him. Shards of ice flew from the tip of the zanpaktou with such force that Midori found herself unable to dodge.

Midori screamed in outrage as the shards of ice ripped her clothes and pierced her flesh. One of the shards of ice pierced Midori's left chest and Hitsugaya gaped in surprise as the ripped fabric of her kimono revealed a gaping hole right over the spot where her heart should be. So she really was like an Arrancar.

"Your power is impressive child," Midori said as she jumped back and prepared for a second attack.

Snorting in derision Hitsugaya kept his gaze focused on the woman. He couldn't tell by her actions exactly what he was planning however he fully intended to be prepared for her next move, whatever it turned out to be.

Raising her voice to a screeching pitch Midori screamed out, "SHIROU!"

For a split second Hitsugaya froze as his mind flashed back to the moment when Midori had ended his life. It was as though he were once again that small, frightened child only this time it was his emotions that were holding him down and preventing him from dodging her in coming attack.

"CAPTAIN!" Matsumoto screamed as she watched Midori's sword pierce her captain's chest.

"I'm sorry," Midori whispered in a voice meant only for him, her words floating on the wind as she flashed past the injured Hitsugaya and stabbed her sword in the center of the tree.

Slumping to the ground Hitsugaya could only watch as a tremendous aura exploded around the tree, the blue that had already been there mixing with blood red and an eerie black. The air rippled with a mix of different reiatsu, the overwhelming one obviously malicious. Maniacal laughter rang out as the aura grew and the reiatsu intensified.

The safety of her captain her first priority Matsumoto quickly flashed to the spot where her captain was kneeling on the ground. Wrapping her arms around his small frame she quickly pulled him toward her protectively, seeking to protect him from whatever had just been unleashed.

"What happened?!"

Both Matsumoto and Hitsugaya glanced back and watched as Captains Kyouraku and Ukitake ran into the clearing, a look of horror mirrored on both their faces.

"I failed," Hitsugaya murmured in a dejected voice, unable to believe that he'd allowed Midori to break the seal. There was a haunted look in his teal eyes as he gazed at the tree, waiting to see what horror had been unleashed due to his failure. If only he hadn't been weak, if only he'd been able to fight Midori like she was just any other enemy. Then none of this would have happened.

A/N - oh no! the Seal has been broken and the demon released. How are they ever going to defeat an enemy that could not be defeated in the past? to find out simply stay tuned to the story. Hitsu-taichou


	13. Demonic Rebirth

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach, nor any of the characters.

Chapter Thirteen - Demonic Rebirth

The assembled Shinigami could only watch as the blue aura that was surrounding the tree grew in size and strength and two beings became visible. The power of the Seal wasn't completely broken at this point and both seemed to be locked in a deep sleep. One was hanging from the top of the tree as though crucified while the other was leaning against the bottom of the tree as though he had merely fallen asleep there.

The one on the bottom appeared more human than the other and with a small gasp Midori ran toward the man. Falling to the ground beside him the Shinigami turned Hollow gently took his face in her hands, tenderly caressing the soft skin.

Hitsugaya's eyes widened as his gaze fell upon the man who, aside from the black hair, could have been an older version of himself. He knew instantly who the man had to be and he watched as his mother attempted to wake the man.

Kyouraku, Ukitake and Matsumoto could only stare in wonder as Midori ran over to the man who was leaning against the tree as though asleep. So that was the reason why she had to break into Soul Society, the reason why she had fought Hitsugaya with everything that she had.

It had all been for a man.

"Toushirou-san!"

There was a hopeful look in her teal eyes as she called out to the man that she had pined for these many years however the man remained completely motionless. The way that she had joyfully shouted out his name hadn't had any affect on him and tears appeared in her eyes. Without thinking she leaned forward and gently placed her lips to his and her gentle gesture turned passionate as she watched his brown eyes open and gaze at her.

Kneeling on the ground, supported by Matsumoto, Hitsugaya watched the tearful reunion of the two people that he now knew to be his birth parents. Midori looked so happy now that she had been reunited with her long lost love and the young captain felt some of his earlier anger dissipate. Despite himself he was happy that they were together once more. Perhaps this would help Midori return to the kind young woman that everyone in Soul Society remembered.

This dramatic reunion was cut short however as the air was pierced by the sound of maniacal laughter. All eyes went to the being that was hanging from the top of the tree and a collective gasp escaped their lips as they saw glowing red eyes glaring at them. Hatred radiated from the pores of the demon as he surveyed the group that was gathered before him.

Grinding his teeth together in an effort to cope with the physical pain from his wounds Hitsugaya forced himself to rise to a standing position. He knew that he had to do something before the situation went from bad to worse. Freeing himself from Matsumoto's grasp the young captain took a step away from the safety of her arms, fighting to remain standing. Matsumoto made a move to pull him back however Hitsugaya shrugged off her touch.

"Toushirou," Ukitake called out as the young captain began walking toward the demon, a determined expression in his clear teal eyes. The young Captain of Squad Ten was quite obviously fairly seriously injured and he didn't want the kid to rush into battle again, especially not against an enemy that he knew nothing about. Yet the kid's motives were painfully clear. He intended to fight, no matter the odds.

Hitsugaya completely ignored his mentor, more determined than ever to end this battle before anyone else was injured. He knew that Ukitake would attempt to talk him out of fighting in his condition however that was simply not an option.

The man who was standing beside Midori glanced up quickly as he heard Ukitake call out his name and his eyes widened as his searching gaze fell upon Hitsugaya. His heart began to pound as his gaze focused on the boy. If not for the white hair the child could have been his twin when he was that age and he had to know. Turning back to Midori his eyes asked a silent question.

"He is yours," Midori said in a quiet voice, her mind completely whole for the first time in so long and her eyes haunted by the memories of what she had done to their child. She had given up her life as a Shinigami in order to have a family and yet she had destroyed that very same family. After losing her husband she had forced her child to endure a life of torment and then she had taken his life from him.

Completely ignoring the two individuals that he now knew to be his birth parents Hitsugaya focused his attention solely on the demon. The reiatsu that surrounded the beast was immense, even greater than that which had surrounded Midori, however Hitsugaya remained determined to fight. It may be a losing battle however all of this had came about because of him and if his life must be forfeit in order to protect Soul Society, and more importantly his friends, then so be it.

He would do what he had to in order to ensure their survival.

Matsumoto's gaze was focused on her captain as he calmly walked toward the demon. She could tell by the expression on his face that he intended to fight and, glancing toward the other captains she could by the looks on their faces that he didn't stand a very good chance of winning.

No way was she going to let her captain face impossible odds without her.

"I will NOT let him do this on his own," the Squad Ten vice-captain said through clenched teeth, pulling her zanpaktou from the sheath that she wore secured at the small of her back and running to catch up with her captain. Hitsugaya briefly glanced over at his subordinate as she came to stand beside him however he made no attempt to dissuade her from fighting.

He merely nodded his head in her direction, respect for her glowing in his teal eyes.

"Come on Jyuu," Kyouraku said in an uncharacteristically serious voice as he pulled his dual blades from his sash. "We have to help the kid. We can't afford to lose our boy genius to the likes of this guy." A small smile appeared on his otherwise somber features as he added, "And my drinking buddy is completely off limits."

Ukitake nodded as he drew his own zanpaktou and released it's powers. Anyone else would have been shocked by Kyouraku's joking attitude right before a major battle however he knew from experience that it was his best friend's way of coping. Kyouraku had never liked to fight however he was more than willing to engage in battle if the situation called for it. If there was no other way to resolve an issue.

Completely unimpressed by their show of power the demon merely sneered as the group of Shinigami assembled in front of him. It was obvious that they had every intention of fighting however it was equally as obvious that they didn't stand a chance against him. This was half the number that had fought against him the last time and even then they had only been able to seal him inside a tree.

And there was no way in all the seven hells that he was going to allow that to happen again. Not now that he was finally free from that prison.

"Retreat now Shinigami," the beast snarled, baring it's fang like teeth at the group. His eyes glowed red as he gazed at them in a threatening manner. "Right now I have no interest in you but if you insist on fighting then you will all die."

"Not likely," Hitsugaya said, his voice holding a confidence that he didn't really feel. His wounds were throbbing their protest of his movement however he forced himself to remain standing. The physical pain would fade in time however he knew that if he allowed this demon to wreak havoc upon Soul Society he would never have another peaceful moment. Raising the tip of his zanpaktou he called out, "Reign over the frosted, frozen sky, Hyourinmaru!"

As before a dragon comprised of ice and water erupted from the tip of the young captain's sword and he directed it toward the demon.

Taking this as their cue the other Shinigami chose this moment to launch attacks of their own.

Briefly caught off guard by the strength of their attacks the demon barely managed to dodge the onslaught. He soon recovered from his momentary surprise however and quickly launched an attack of his own. Raising one finger the demon launched a burst of energy that strongly resembled those used by Hollow.

Seeing the path of the blast clearly in his mind's eye Kyouraku quickly knocked his best friend out of the way before Ukitake was caught up in the cero like blast. "Thanks," the Squad Thirteen Captain mouthed before unleashing an attack of his own.

"No problem," Kyouraku said as he resumed fighting.

Midori's eyes remained locked on the battlefield, her heart breaking at the sight. It was true that she had reclaimed her lost love but in the process she had damned their son for a second time. Just thinking about what she'd done was enough to haunt Midori and rob her of her will to live. "What kind of monster am I?" she murmured to herself as she watched a blast from the demon knock her child from the air.

The young captain hit the ground with an audible thump however he quickly jumped to his feet and held up his sword, still determined to fight despite the patch of raw skin that was left in the wake of the demon's attack. "Bankai, Daiguren Hyourinmaru!"

Midori found that she was once again awed by the strength of her son however despite that fact she didn't think that he and the others could win. The demon was so powerful and was knocking Hitsugaya around as though he were nothing.

The demon laughed as his gaze fell upon Midori and Toushirou. "You," he snarled as his gaze fell upon the man that had been used to seal him inside that damnable tree. "I have a score to settle with you."

This said the demon deflected yet another attack from Hitsugaya and then dashed toward Midori and her husband. Midori made a move to draw her sword so that she could protect the man that she had gone through so much to get back however her reactions weren't fast enough. The demon slammed into both of them, knocking them back a couple of feet.

"Damn it!" Hitsugaya swore as he saw that the demon had changed it's targets. Growling low in his throat the boy launched himself forward, propelled by his ice blue wings. He quickly flew to the spot where the demon stood, preparing to attack Midori again, and the boy used Hyourinmaru to stab the demon in the shoulder. He was well aware of the fact that this attack would be far from lethal but all he wanted to do was to draw the demon's attention away from his parents.

And it worked.

Surprised by the sudden attack the beast howled in anger and turned on Hitsugaya with a blood lust glowing in it's eyes. "Brat! For that your death shall be slow and painful."

Having successfully drawn the demon's attention back to himself, Hitsugaya held up the blade of Hyourinmaru. Determination was glowing bright in his teal eyes as he faced his opponant. There was simply no way that he was going to lose to this guy.

A/N - and there's the revised version of chapter thirteen. Hope you enjoyed. Til next time this is Hitsu-taichou signing out.


	14. Last Resort

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

A/N - warning: the previous chapter was revised so if you haven't read the new version you might want to go back and do that because some things changed.

Chapter Fourteen - Last Resort

The battle with the demon was not going well for the Shinigami, who had no way to contact the Seireitei and request assistance. Kyouraku smirked as he used his twin blades to block a particularly fierce blow from the demon. "You'd think that they would notice that there's a huge battle going on out here."

"They've more than likely noticed," Ukitake said as he rushed to his best friend's aid. Using his dual wield zanpaktou he launched a wall of water toward the demon, hoping to buy his friend enough time to recover. "But since we weren't supposed to come out here in the first place we'll more than likely be left to deal with this on our own."

"You're probably right."

Fighting hard to catch his breath Hitsugaya once again raised the blade of Hyourinmaru and swung the sword in an arc in front of him. Shards of ice, razor sharp and glinting in the sunlight, flew from the tip of the blade and flew toward the demon. The beast noticed the attack mere seconds before the ice struck and, slinging out one arm, he blocked the attack.

Little beads of blood rose where the shards of ice struck however the demon seemed completely unphased. The only thing that the attack did was cause the demon to change it's target. Sneering wide enough to show a row of razor sharp fangs the beast turned and flew toward the young Captain of Squad Ten.

"Captain!" Matsumoto exclaimed as she watched the demon sink it's fangs into the flesh of her captain's left arm.

"Bad move," Hitsugaya snarled, his narrowed eyes focused on the demon. Raising his reiatsu to an alarming level the young captain used kidou, meshed together with his own icy reiatsu, to freeze his own arm. With the demon still attached.

A couple of fangs snapped as the demon pulled himself free, snarling profanities as he leapt away from the boy.

Using the demon's momentary lack of concentration to her advantage, Midori leapt from her spot beside Toushirou and rushed toward the demon. The blade of her zanpaktou began to glow at the same time that the mask again grew to obscure her face. This beast had threatened her newly reclaimed family and for that he would suffer. Screaming in rage the woman swung the blade of her zanpaktou.

Hitsugaya's eyes widened in shock as he watched his mother attack the demon like a woman possessed. He had thought that she fought hard during their battles but from the look of her now it would appear that he had been wrong.

That was nothing compared to this.

The two fought, their movements barely visible, however Midori proved to be no match for the demon. Using one of it's huge claws the beast knocked the woman back. She flew through the air and crashed into the remains of the tree.

"Midori!"

Toushirou jumped to his feet, fighting to maintain his balance after so many years of lying dormant in the tree, and rushed to his wife's side. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth however she smiled softly as her gaze fell upon the concerned brown eyes of her husband.

"Toushirou-san."

"I'm glad that you're okay," he whispered as he pulled her head into his lap.

Seeing red Hitsugaya once again rushed toward the demon, swinging the blade of Hyourinmaru with far more speed than he had managed earlier. The sight of Midori sailing through the air had brought about far more rage than he would have expected and now he was more determined than ever to put a stop to the demon.

Before anyone else got hurt.

Seeing this as their opportunity the others rushed toward the demon and joined in the fight. And yet even with three captains and one vice-captain, the demon still managed to maintain the upper hand. Dodging attacks the demon laughed as he knocked Matsumoto back.

The Squad Ten Vice-captain screamed in pain as she fell to the ground.

"Matsumoto!"

Hitsugaya was instantly at his vice-captain's side, helping her to rise.

"I'm okay captain," Matsumoto said in a quiet voice, getting to her feet. She couldn't believe that he still had the energy to help her, and to fight for that matter. He was covered in injuries and was losing blood at an alarming pace. Breathing hard it was a miracle that the young boy could still stand, let alone continue to fight.

If this battle didn't end soon then there was a very real chance that the young boy wouldn't make it.

"Midori," Toushirou said, gazing down at his wife with a concerned expression in his eyes. He had been watching the battle and was now afraid that the demon was going to emerge victorious. "Is there. . . isn't there something that we can do to help them?"

Midori's gaze shifted back to the battle and she watched in horror as her son, the child whom she had already caused so much suffering, was pinned to the ground by the demon. Her teal eyes shifted back to Toushirou, the man for whom she had risked everything. She could tell, by the look in his eyes, that he desperately wanted to do something to help with the battle. But what could he do? He wasn't even trained as a Shinigami.

That thought caused a memory to surface from Midori's own training as a Shinigami and suddenly she knew. There really was a way for the two of them to help with the battle and yet. . . "There. . . there is one way that we can defeat him."

"What is it?" Toushirou could tell, by the tone of Midori's voice, that the move would be a costly one.

"There is a kidou spell that I learned about in the Academy," Midori explained. "Using it, and our life force as the energy to power it, we can defeat the demon. But. . . the cost is a high one."

Toushirou's gaze once again shifted to the battle and he took in the injuries that everyone had suffered. None of them had managed to withstand the battle without injury however the one in the worst shape by far was the little boy who shared his looks.

"My only regret is that I never got to know him," he whispered, his gaze locked on the face of his son.

Knowing that Toushirou had made his decision, and knowing that she would follow him anywhere, Midori nodded. Getting slowly to her feet she held out her hand to him. Toushirou immediately took the hand that she offered to him and Midori marveled at the feel of it. It had been so long since she had been able to touch him and she would give anything if only they could stay like this.

But their son needed help.

He needed them and for the first time Midori vowed that she would be there for him and would protect him from the harshness of the world. She knew that she had been an abysmal mother and she regretted that insanity had stolen her reason and also her son. But this was her chance to make things up to the child that she should have cherished and instead slaughtered.

Toushirou saw the grief that was hidden in Midori's eyes and he pulled her into a loving embrace. Midori sighed as she placed her head on Toushirou's chest and allowed him to hold her for a minute. This was the moment that she had been waiting for since the day that he had left her, never to return.

A scream from Hitsugaya brought the couple back to the here and now and, determined expressions on their faces, Midori and Toushirou stood hand in hand. Looking on their child, who was bravely battling against the demon, they made their decision.

They would face their destiny head on, with no regrets.

A/N - and there's chapter fourteen. Hope you enjoyed, please leave a review and tell me what you thought. Til next time, this is Hitsu-taichou signing out.


	15. The Final Fate of All

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Fifteen - The Final Fate of All

They had made their decision and hand in hand Midori and Toushirou each used a flash-step to appear in between the demon and the group of Shinigami. All eyes immediately focused on the pair, now both surrounded by a powerful aura and each holding a determined look in their eyes.

"What the hell are you doing?" Hitsugaya screamed as his gaze focused on his parents.

"I'm fixing my mistakes," Midori said in a soft voice and before anyone could react to the situation Midori and Toushirou quickly grabbed the demon, one from the front and one from the back. Then, once they had a firm grip on the screaming demon, Midori turned her attention back to her son. "Shirou! Listen, you have to stab the demon through the heart with your zanpaktou and then release a burst of reiatsu. End this."

"I can't," Hitsugaya screamed back, completely unaware of the six eyes that were now locked onto him and the three Shinigami who were taking in his every word. "You're in the way!"

"Forget about us, Toushirou-kun," the man said in a kind voice, his gaze locked on the child that he had never met. It was truly unfair that fate had robbed him of the opportunity to get to know his child however now was not the time for regrets. "This is the only way to ensure that the demon is completely destroyed. Your mother told me that there is a kidou that is similar to the binding kidou that was used to seal the demon the last time. Give us two minutes to recite the kidou and then end this."

And with these words Midori and Toushirou began to chant an unfamiliar kidou. Hitsugaya found that he could only stare at the scene, a horrified expression in his teal eyes. Could he really do what she was asking of him? Could he effectively end the lives of both of his parents?

"Now Shirou!"

Hitsugaya was brought back to reality by Midori's shouts and he gazed up at the sight of his parents holding on to the struggling demon. "I. . . I can't. . ."

The group suddenly began to glow a bright, golden color and some unknown force was telling Hitsugaya that now was the time to attack.

"DO IT NOW SHIROU!"

The combined voices of his parents and the pleading expressions on their faces spurred the young captain to action and without another thought he held up his sword and launched himself forward. The young captain had to use every once of will power that he possessed in order to remain on course and at the last possible moment Midori and Toushirou leapt out of harm's way. Shocked by their actions Hitsugaya felt the tip of his zanpaktou pierce the flesh of the demon's chest.

There was a large burst of reiatsu and then the demon issued one final scream before his body crumbled.

Hitsugaya landed on the ground and to his complete astonishment his parents landed beside him. Both were still surrounded by a glowing golden aura and each placed a hand on the young captain's shoulders. They offered him a smile and both had the same words for him. "I'm proud of you."

"Does this mean. . ."

Toushirou halted the words of his son. "Your mother and I will perish. That's the backlash of using this particular kidou, it requires the strength and life force of a soul in order to be successful."

"You mean you traded your lives so that I could. . ." The young prodigy's words faltered as he realized the significance of his father's words. A horrified expression appeared on Hitsugaya's face as he was struck by the full weight of what they had done. Of what he had allowed them to do.

"You did what you had to do," Toushirou told his son, gripping his shoulder. "And you didn't end our lives. Those were ended long before today. All you did was give us a chance for a new beginning."

"Please forgive me Shirou," Midori whispered as she wrapped her arms around her son.

For the first time Hitsugaya found that he really did forgive her. Up until this moment his feelings had been tumultuous and hard to explain however her selfless act had earned his forgiveness and the boy returned her hug. "I forgive you, Mother."

"Thank you," Midori said as she and her husband stepped away from their child.

Hitsugaya nodded, tears stinging his eyes. "There's something that I have to know."

"What is it Shirou-chan?" Midori asked, causing Hitsugaya to wince. Now he finally realized why he hated that nickname so damn much. "How did you know about the Seal?"

"I was approached by this strange man," Midori told her son, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I can't describe him because I never saw his face, he kept it covered by a mask. Although he did wear the clothes of a Shinigami. He told me what Soul Society had done and to whom they had done it to. I have no idea how he knew about your father but at the time all I could think of was that I had to save him. This stranger was also the man who helped me gain the powers of a Hollow so that I could better fulfill my so called mission. I'm really sorry Shirou, I didn't mean for you to be hurt again."

Hitsugaya nodded.

The couple lingered there for a moment longer, their loving gazes locked on Hitsugaya, before they both vanished.

Hitsugaya felt the pain caused by his wings of ice exploding however he found that this physical pain dulled in comparison to the ache in his heart. Despite what they had said about him saving them the fact remained that he'd just taken the lives of his parents. Not directly perhaps but he had definately played a part in it and had they not moved when they did he would have stabbed them. With a gasp the young captain sank to the ground and was only vaguely aware that a pair of arms had wrapped themselves around him.

"Toushirou," Ukitake called out, seeking to gain the young boy's attention.

Hitsugaya gazed up at his mentor and Ukitake saw the defeated look in his teal eyes. "They made their choice Toushirou, no one made it for them. This is not your fault."

Hitsugaya nodded his head to show that he had heard Ukitake's words however he didn't believe them. This was all his fault; if he hadn't allowed Midori into Soul Society in the first place then none of this would have happened.

_**"That's true," **_a small voice in the back of his mind whispered. This voice was as familiar to him as his own and Hitsugaya paid close attention to the words. _**"If you had stopped her then they would both still be alive however she would be locked in a world of insanity and he would be forever bound with a demon."**_

Hitsugaya thougth about the words and realized that they had a ring of truth about them. His parents had chosen their fate, had chosen to protect their son, and now they were free. Perhaps fate would be kinder to them in the next life.

"Thanks Hyourinmaru," he whispered, his voice barely audible above the noises made by the others.

"Come on captain," Matsumoto said as she wrapped one of his small arms around her shoulders, leaning over slightly so that she could help him walk. "We all look like we could use the assistance of Squad Four."

Hitsugaya nodded and, swallowing his pride, allowed his vice-captain to help him.

"And don't worry boy genius," Kyouraku said as the group began their journey back to the Seireitei. "We won't tell anyone what we found out today."

Hitsugaya paled as he realized that all three of them knew.

The group surrounding him suddenly burst into raucous laughter and yet, despite the fact that they were laughing at him, Hitsugaya was confident that they would keep what they knew about his past a secret. He was going to trust them to at least.

_"Don't make me regret this later," _he thought to himself as he and his comrades made their way back toward the Seireitei.

* * *

"Well that didn't turn out at all the way I expected."

A figure emerged from the shadows of the forest and surveyed the battle scene. He was forced to admit that he had miscalculated when he'd sought the help of the Ex-Shinigami and was slightly irritated that he had wasted his time giving her the powers of an Arrancar. Pulling at the mask that had been covering his face the man crushed it with one hand and allowed the pieces to float away, carried by the wind. Then he removed a pair of glasses from the folds of his shihakusho and placed them back in thier proper place.

"Oh well." Sousuke Aizen whispered, his voice now completely devoid of emotion. "The powers of the demon would have been useful for my plans but they were by no means necessary. Everything will go on as previously planned."

The End

A/N - and that's the last chapter. Hope you enjoyed the ride, please review and tell me what you thought. Once again this fic is dedicated to miawpyon, hope you enjoyed the path that it took. Hitsu-taichou


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